Cruel Season
by Wanderlustt
Summary: Beth and Daryl have found a new home to stay in for the baby's birth, but are they as safe as they really think they are? Twenty-one years later, Daryl and his daughters are on the road headed South to overtake and rescue a village from the grips of an evil dictator. SEQUEL TO INTO THE UNKNOWN, if you haven't read that go there first. Bethyl
1. Chapter 1

Georgette woke up in the middle of the night. At first she didn't realize why she had awoken. She could no longer feel the heavy, furry body of Thor next to her. On her other side was Candice, still sound asleep. She sat up and looked around. Thor stood in front of her, his ears pinned back in a threat. She could hear a deep growl rumbling his throat. Caught on the makeshift fence they'd made was a walker. It was wrapped in the wire and clawing at her, snarling in hunger. It's face almost completely clean of flesh and she could see its skull. Groaning in annoyance she got to her feet. She gently petted Thor on the head and now that she was up, he stood down having done his job. She grabbed her knife from its holster on her belt and quickly stabbed the walker in the brain, hoping it hadn't attracted others. She cleaned the blade off and turned back around to make her way back over to her sleeping bag. She stopped for a moment and took a look at the group still all sleeping peacefully. They'd been on the road for two days now but things were looking up. She had come to discover that her father was an amazing hunter and he brought it in way more food for them then she and Candice had ever done combined.

She knelt back down on her sleeping bag and curled back up. Thor joined her, curling back up in between she and Irving. He didn't like to be far from her but they still hadn't told anyone about their relationship. With Thor in between them it looked innocent enough. She shut her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. With any luck they'd be crossing into Alabama by tomorrow afternoon.

* * *

They had come up with an ordered way of moving. Daryl, Irving, his dog and Georgette would bring up the front, and then Odilia and Candice would be on the ATV. Behind them they pulled the trailer with Carlotta and Sarah inside. On either side of the trailer Carl and Judith would walk and bringing up the rear was Athena, Ares and Pedro. Every once in awhile Candice would switch with people to give them a break walking. As they had before they decided to follow the main road that led down to New Orleans. Odilia said from there she knew her way back to the village. Georgette walked in between her father and Irving. She could feel the pain in her feet but tried to ignore it. They'd been walking since the crack of dawn. She had to admit they had been pampered on the way to Georgia. They hadn't had to go on foot once. They had either been or horseback or on the ATV. They knew when Thor growled and ran ahead of them that there was someone or something coming. So far all they'd come across were lone walkers. She looked over at Irving who she found looking back at her. He saw the exhaustion and pain cross her face and he smiled encouragingly at her and winked. Since the night she'd snuck into his bed they hadn't had another chance to talk privately. She knew if they were going to take things further she'd have to tell everyone. She didn't much care about what anyone thought but her dad. The fact that they were cousins would probably bother him along with the fact that he was much older than her. She hadn't much discussed her mother with him yet but she was pretty sure that she had been younger than her father.

"There," Irving pointed up ahead with his machete, "We can stop there for some lunch." A sign partially hidden by the overgrown trees read 'Welcome to Lyerly, Georgia." Happy to be able to rest Georgette moved at the head of the group, sighing in relief when the first few houses of the town came into sight. They continued on a bit more and found a nice fenced in park area where they would be able to eat and not worry about keeping watch. They pulled the ATV right outside the gates and then went inside. Georgette sat down heavily at one of the rusted metal picnic tables. She heard it creak as Irving sat with her. She watched him take out a bowl for Thor and pour some water into it so the dog could loudly lap it up. Her father put a hand on her shoulder and said

"How you doin' sweetheart."

"I'll survive," she said, "Just need some lunch."

"I'm gonna get some squirrels on the grill."

* * *

Candice end of the old metal slide that was attached to the rotting swing set. She was not nearly as exhausted as her sister and knew she'd be switching up with her when they got back on the road.

"Hey." She looked up to see Carl approaching her.

"Hey," she said, "How are you doing?"

"Fine," he said, "hungry."

"I think my dad's gonna start cooking." She saw him over by the picnic tables setting up a fire. He took a seat next to her on the other slide. They'd been getting to know each other lately and Candice enjoyed his company. It didn't hurt that he was handsome either.

"Your dad's a great guy." He was quiet for a moment before saying, "So was your mother." She looked up at him and saw that he was red in the face. "I used to have a crush on her." Candice laughed and said

"What?!"

"Ya," he laughed, "She was way older than me and it was just a little harmless crush. She knew about it but she wasn't mean, she'd just smile at me and be nice." He looked at his feet before saying "You look like her you know." Candice blushed and smiled.

"My dad said the same thing."

"Your sister though," he rolled his eyes and said "Just like your dad." Candice laughed

"Ya she can be overbearing sometimes but I love her. She's all that I've had for the longest time."

"When I thought I'd lost Judith the world came crashing down," he said, "I was so happy to see her with Carlotta when they showed up. I just wish my dad had been there to see her." Candice saw the sadness in his eyes and took his hand.

"I bet your dad is very proud of you, look how far you've come!" He smiled at her and said

"Your mom, my dad and everyone else are up there somewhere watching over us." Candice often thought about her other deceased family members that she hadn't gotten to meet. Her aunt Maggie, uncle Glenn, uncle Merle, her grandfather Hershel, she wished she could've met them. But the past was behind them now and she had to think about the future and the people she had left.

* * *

Daryl got the squirrel meat roasting nicely over the fire. He turned away from it and looked at everyone. Judith, Carlotta and Sarah were talking over under a large oak tree, Athena and Ares were talking with Pedro and then he spotted Carl and Candice. He watched them for a few minutes. He could see the look Carl was giving her. He narrowed his eyes and walked towards them. He wasn't sure what Carl wanted from his daughter. He'd known the kid for a long time but he was a young man who hadn't seen a younger woman who wasn't related to him in years. He was pretty sure he was actually still a virgin. He called out to them.

"Hey Candice." She looked up at him, her big blue eyes alert. "Wanna help me with lunch?"

"Sure," she said goodbye to Carl and came over to him.

"What were you 'n Carl talkin' about?"

"Nothing much," she said, "Just about the prison." He wondered how much Carl was telling her. He nodded and said

"We were there for a long time before we were run out."

"I know," she said, "Carl told me." Daryl sighed, trying to push away his annoyance towards Carl.

"Me 'n your mother never really got to know each other much there. I was always goin' on runs and she watched Judith most days. I spent mosta my time with Rick or Ca-" Did he dare say her name?

"Who?" He figured now was a good of time as any to tell her the story about Carol and the town he and Beth had stayed in.

"She was a friend of mine," he said, "She ended up goin' a little crazy in the end." He talked about the town and how Carol had attacked Beth. "It wasn't her," he said, "She just lost it in the end."

"Why did she hate mom?"

"She and I always had a thing; she thought it was more than just friends." Candice was silent for a moment, looking into the fire. Then with a wide grin she said

"Well I'm glad you chose mom." He couldn't help but laugh and say

"Ya me too."

* * *

Beth stood up in the boat with Donna. As they approached the line hanging from the tree it was easy to see that it was down in the water and there was a gator at the end of it.

"You hold the line and I shoot this time?" Beth nodded and as they reached the tree she gently grabbed onto the rope. As she tugged it gently she pulled up a whole mess of weeds, branches and vines that the rope was tangled in.

"Shit," she said, "Hold on I gotta get this stuff out." She leaned over and started roughly picking it apart, trying to get the rope straight again. Donna watched her and said

"Be careful." Beth cleared away most of the branches and when she almost had it out the gator shot upp out of the water at her, hitting the side of the boat and making it rock wildly. They both screamed and while Donna was able to grab onto the side Beth was thrown over and into the water. The water rushed around her, blocking out all other sounds. All she could think about was getting back to the surface as quickly as possible and into the boat. When she came up, gasping for air she desperately clung at the side. Donna grabbed onto her arms and tried to pull her in. When she felt something grab her leg she knew it was the gator. White hot pain shot up her leg, and she screamed out. She was almost sure she was done with or lose a leg at the very least. If she couldn't get free then the gator would go into a death roll and break all of her bones, muscles and twist her leg off. She reached back down into the water and desperately hit at the beast. She found its eye and gave it a hard jab. It loosened its jaws just enough for Donna to pull her up along with the gator's head. She grabbed the gun and quickly shot it. It went limp and released her. Donna pulled her all the way in and lay her down on a towel.

"It's gonna be ok!" Beth could still feel the excruciating pain pulsing in her leg, letting her know it was still there and she wasn't going to become a cripple. Donna went back to the wheel and they took off back down the bayou towards the village.

Beau was walking by the docks when he heard all of the commotion. He looked over beyond the fence to see a boat coming in fast.

"Help she got bit!" He recognized Donna jump out. People who had been doing their laundry or scaling fish flocked to the dock to see what was going on. Beau stopped in his tracks, curious to see who had gotten bit out on a run. He saw Karen carrying someone up the beach and felt a wave of shock wash over him when he recognized his own mother. Donna spotted him and said

"Beau! Your mom got bit! She needs to be brought to the hospital! Let Vince know!" Beau got a look at her while they were passing by. His mother was awake but pale. He saw that her leg had been torn up, the flesh hanging off in thick chunks. Keeping himself calm he headed off in the direction of Vince's office. He had a thing for his mom; he'd no doubt be worried about her.

**Thanks to everyone for supporting me this far :) So the first chapter wasn't that interesting except for the back half. This sequel is going to focus a lot more on Beth & Beau considering Daryl and the gang are getting much closer to them. But don't worry I've got some things planned for them as well along the way ;) Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	2. Chapter 2

Beth stood in the kitchen humming to herself. She steadily held the large knife in her hand and started to cut up a head of lettuce. Daryl would be back soon with dinner and she should finish up the salad before he did so she could start cooking the meat. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Tyreese working on the fence they were putting up. He had pulled up several cars to surround the house and then started to work on piling things on top like tires, bricks, etc. She placed a hand on her rounded belly knowing that staying here had been the right choice. They had been there for almost two months now. Winter was in full swing and she usually kept herself dressed up pretty well to avoid getting cold. It was rare Daryl let her leave the house but she had found a hobby of her own to do inside, gardening. Upon exploration, Beth had found that the house had a greenhouse connected. Because of the lack of heat, she couldn't grow things like tomatoes but lettuce was a hardy plant and with the sun beating in through the glass, it gave it just enough heat to grow.

When she finished slicing up the lettuce she put it all in a bowl and set it aside. She made her way into the living room and started to get a fire going. As she was lighting it she felt a sudden kick in her belly. She smiled and set the lighter down, lying back up against the couch. She was around twenty-five weeks now and had grown pretty big, bigger than she thought she'd be. She had started to feel the baby move a few weeks ago. It had happened one night when she and Daryl had been getting ready for bed.

* * *

_He had found her getting undressed in their bedroom. She hadn't been aware he was standing in the doorway watching her until she had stripped down to her panties. When he shut the door she jumped and turned around. She saw him look her naked form over._

_"You're gettin' bigger every day." She smiled and said_

_"I know," She turned back to the mirror and ran her hands up over her rounded stomach. He came up behind her and held her hips up against his. She could feel his erection pressing into her and felt herself getting wet as he brought his hands up over her belly and then onto her breasts. He played with her nipples, sending electric shocks through her body that centered down in her pelvis. She lay her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes._

_"I'm gonna go shower," he growled into her ear. "Wanna join?"_

_"Definitely." She squealed in excitement when he picked her up in his arms. He carried her into the bathroom and set her down back on her feet. He knelt down on the floor and hooked his fingers under the lace of her panties. He slowly brought them down her legs as he kissed down her belly. As he was doing so she felt something shift inside of her. She instantly stiffened and he noticed._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing," she said. A huge grin broke out across her face as she realized what it was. "I think I just felt the baby move." Daryl instantly had his ear pressed to her stomach. She laughed and said "You won't hear it you'll feel it. She took his hand and placed it on the side of her stomach again. They waited and a few seconds later Beth felt the shift again inside of her. Daryl must have felt it as well because his eyes got wide and a smile crept onto his face. She felt the baby kick out onto her right side where Daryl's hand was._

_"I can feel him movin'." She smirked and said_

_"Him?"_

_"Or her."_

_"Do you want a boy?"_

_"Whatever's in there," he said with a smile. "I just can't believe it,"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"That's our baby in there." She laughed and said_

_"Ya it has been." He looked starry-eyed and blissfully happy. She let him feel the movements some more. When the baby seemed to calm down a bit she took his hand and said_

_"Come on let's go shower."_

* * *

She heard Tyreese walk in and he came into the living room. He was bundled up in a thick coat and heavy jeans.

"It's been a rough winter," he said, "Can't believe how much snow there is on the ground." He saw her sitting on the floor and said "Are you ok?"

"Ya," she said, "Just feeling the baby move, he or she's been active for the past few days." He smiled and said

"I think it'll be a girl."

"How come?"

"Cause Daryl needs a little girl," he said, "A little girl that will soften him up ever more." Beth laughed and said

"That would be amazing." They heard the front door open again and Beth knew it was Daryl. He walked in beside Tyreese and said

"Somethin' smells good."

"I started cooking dinner," she said, getting up off of the floor.

"I got a deer," he said, "Left it out in the garage, I'm gonna go out and skin it." Tyreese turned to leave and said

"I'll give you some help." Daryl nodded and Tyreese left to go string the deer up on the ceiling. She took that opportunity to jump into his arms and press her lips to his. She hadn't seen him all day and while she knew he was out getting them food and providing for them she missed him a lot. He groaned into her mouth and said

"Couldn't stop thinkin' 'bout you all day." The pregnancy hormones had made Beth horny. She had expected him to not want to touch her as she grew and her pregnancy progressed but it was the opposite. He couldn't keep his hands off of her. She felt him grab her ass and squeeze. Before they got carried away she took a step back and said

"Go help Tyreese, I'll finish up dinner." He looked frustrated but nodded and left.

* * *

The people of Terminus had gone back to their normal routine. They had stopped searching for the three who had wiped out an entire hunting group. They had tried to track them for about a month or so but had recently given up. Whoever they had been they must have gotten far away by now. Although everyone else may have forgotten Alex and Gareth did not. While they were not actively looking, every time Alex went out he kept his eyes open for any signs of them.

* * *

Beth set the table. She had a bowl of salad and a plate of venison. It was a simple meal but it was what they usually ate nowadays. She made herself a plate while Daryl and Tyreese cleaned up a bit. When Daryl sat down and grabbed the plate of meat she instead held out the bowl of salad. He gave it a look of disgust and said

"You don't really expect me to eat leaves do you?"

"You said you wanted to do everything you could to be part of the process with the baby," she smirked, "And I'm eating healthy, you should too." With another look of utter disgust he took the bowl reluctantly from her and put some onto his plate. Smiling she sat down and started to cut into her piece of meat. There were numerous candles lit around the room giving it a dim lighting. Outside she could see snow starting to fall again. She'd never seen such a cold winter in Georgia for as long as she could remember. Of course it had snowed before but not like this. Once dinner was over Daryl got up and said

"I picked up somethin' nice for us today." He reached into his bag and pulled out a large bottle of liquor. Beth sank in her seat, knowing she couldn't drink a drop of it. It would be a night of sitting and watching Tyreese and Daryl get drunk and tell silly stories that had happened back at the prison. He uncorked it and poured himself a glass and handed it over to Tyreese.

* * *

Beth lay spread across the bed waiting for him to come up. If they didn't finish what they had started earlier she wouldn't be able to fall asleep. She had on a deep red transparent babydoll lingerie top with matching panties, another little something Daryl had picked up for her out on a run. It hung nicely over her stomach and wasn't uncomfortable at all. When he walked in with a drunken smirk on his face she could tell he had been expecting her to be like this. He let out a sound of approval and said a bit loudly

"You been waitin' on me girl?" She nodded and said

"I was excited to show you my new outfit." He got onto the bed and lay on his back so she could straddle him. He had been careful lately not to be too rough with her now that she was further along. She usually sat on top now as it was comfortable for both of them. He ran his hands up her thighs and found her clit underneath the lace. He began to tease her and rub his thumb around it. She let out a moan, desperate for more as she grinded up against him. He moved his other hand up her side and began to play with her nipples which to his fascination had gotten larger and to her own displeasure had started to occasionally leak milk.

"You're so fuckin' wet for me ain't you?" She let out a whimper and he said "Who do you belong too?" He was being loud but Tyreese had decided to bunk down on the first floor to give them some space. "I asked you a question." He leaned her down onto her hands and knees and she felt him gently running his hands over her. He asked the question again. "Who do you belong too?" He gave her a sharp slap on her ass which burned with both pleasure and pain.

"You, I belong to you." She smirked and said "Mr. Dixon."

"That's right, 'n don't you ever forget it." He had never acted like this before she started showing. She was sure it had something to do with the fact that seeing her swollen with his child had given him a sense of pride and male ego which she was happy to feed. She heard the clinking of him unbuckling his belt. It wasn't long before he had slipped inside of her. She let out a moan of pleasure, feeling him fill her up balls deep. He spanked her again and started to pump in and out of her. She moved back to meet his thrusts and it didn't take long for both of them to come; gasping each other's names in ecstasy.

When they were done Beth got off of him and lay next to him, trying to catch her breath and cool down. He took her hand and brought it up to his mouth and kissed it, his eyes still heavy with alcohol and pleasure. She curled up into him and said

"I love you Daryl."

"I love you too darlin'."

* * *

When Beth woke up it was still night and she knew instantly that something was up. She sat up and looked around, Daryl was still asleep next to her and she could hear nothing moving inside the house. But upon closer observation she heard a thick sound from somewhere outside. Like someone walking or trudging through the snow. Feeling a spike of cold fear she gently shoke Daryl awake. He grumbled at her, his hangover evident.

"What?"

"There's someone outside." He mumbled something she didn't understand and said

"It's probably a walker. Just keep quiet and go backta sleep." He placed a pillow over his face so she could no longer see him. Letting out a huff of determination she said

"It's not a walker! Walker's don't walk well in the snow, what I heard was a human." He didn't answer her and she began to shake him more violently this time.

"Alright! I'll go check it out!" He got to his feet, holding his head. He grabbed his crossbow off the floor and headed for the door. Beth quickly jumped out after him and tiptoed close behind. They moved out into the dark hallway and then down the stairs to the second floor. Daryl peeked out one of the windows, Beth watched from behind him. It had stopped snowing so they could clearly see the driveway, lit up by the full moon. Two people were out there. She could see them opening up the cars and searching inside. He quickly turned away and said

"Stay here!" He descended the stairs, his crossbow up and ready. She obeyed him and stayed there, leaning against the banister, having a clear view of the front door. She could hear Tyreese still snoring in his room. She heard Daryl walking him up and the low tone of their voices as they talked. He returned back into view with Tyreese who looked exhausted but alert. Beth jumped a mile when the door knob started to turn. It was locked and she heard whoever was on the other side stop pulling at it and instead pick the lock. Daryl and Tyreese stood in front of the door, waiting, their weapons raised. The door swung open and two people stood in the doorway. Beth still couldn't see their faces but she could tell it was a man and a woman. Tyreese gasped and slowly lowered his hammer, Daryl followed him, dropping his crossbow. The two people stepped forward into the house and Beth could now see their faces. Sasha and Bob.

**Thanks daywalker28, electrickpanda, stateofgrace-xo, Prime13, carld178, Diana and all the guests for commenting :) Sorry it's been so long, like I said I was on vacation this past weekend and have been bogged down with finals. But tomorrow is my last day and then it's summer break so I'll have lots of free tiem to write!**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	3. Chapter 3

Beau burst into Vince's office, the door banging loudly against the wall. He saw Vince jump a mile in his chair. His expression changed from shock to anger and he said

"What the hell Beau?!"

"My mom's been bit." Vince was on his feet in a second a look of horror on his face.

"Bit?! Bit by what?"

"Relax, not a walker, a gator. But her leg looks pretty chewed up. Donna brought her straight to the hospital." They were out the door a second later. Beau was never typically never concerned with anyone besides himself and maybe Annalise, but he couldn't help but let a twinge of worry creep into his head. It's not that he hadn't ever thought about his mother's death but the reality of it crashed down on him like a brick. What would he do if she died? It's not like he lived with her anymore or depended on her but the idea seemed horrifying.

When they got o the hospital they found Donna sitting out in the lobby. She rose to her feet when she saw Vince.

"They're trying to stitch her up now and stop the bleedin'."

"She'll be ok?"

"Should be," said Donna, "They thought they were gonna have to amputate but it turned out better than they said it looked." Vince looked satisfied with what Donna had said.

"If her condition worsens you know where to find me." Beau watched him leave the hospital. He knew Vince only cared about his mother's well being because he wanted to seduce her. While the idea didn't thrill him he didn't particularly care who his mother spent her time with. If she and Vince were going to become a thing then he would let it happen.

* * *

The group traveled on into Alabama and decided to stop moving at sundown. They found what had been a campground. There were several old RVs set up that they had decided to stay in. After dinner Georgette met Irving out behind the trailer he was staying in as he had requested earlier at dinner. She had told Candice she was going out to pee and there was no reason for suspicion. She smiled and said

"So what is it you want?" He smirked back at her and said

"I was just wonderin' if you'd like to come out on a walk later?"

" At night?"

"Ya," he said, "To talk 'n other stuff." She caught the sexual suggestion with the way he said 'stuff.' She laughed and said

"I would love too."

"Meet me here in an hour."

On her way back to her trailer Georgette spotted her father dousing the last of the fire. She walked up and said

"Hey." He turned around and said

"What are you doin' up so late?"

"It's not that late," she said with a laugh, "The sun set about an hour ago."

"Sorry," he said, "It's hard when your daughter jumps from three to twenty-one." She softly smiled at his sad joke and said

"Me and Candice are still your little girls." He smiled at her, deep emotions clearly brewing behind it. She pulled him into a hug and he hugged her back, holding her tightly in his arms. The moment was interrupted by Candice who came over to them, a look of worry on her face.

"There you are," she said, "Thought you'd gotten lost." The three of them took a seat on the log they'd been sitting at earlier for dinner. Her father spoke up again and said

"Your mother would be proud of you two. You're both brave 'n kind. She was always worryin' about how things would turn out." His blue gaze looked off into the distance, as if he were seeing another world. "She thought being raised in the apocalypse 'n in constant danger might make you turn out too cold-hearted. She always tried to do things with you that she did as a kid." Wide-eyed, Candice asked

"Like what?"

"Like goin' to the park, playin' with dolls 'n being sung to sleep." Georgette decided to drop the question she'd been thinking about since Irving told her.

"What was your childhood like?" He instantly stiffened.

"Nuthin' special." Georgette put a hand on his shoulder and said

"Please tell us." He looked at her for a few seconds and then looked down at his feet.

"My dad was a bad guy," he said, "Liked to beat me 'n my brother up." Georgette frowned and he continued to talk. "When your mom got pregnant I promised I'd never be like him. I wasn't gonna repeat the cycle." Georgette could tell she didn't need her sympathy. What had happened had taken place a long time ago and he was already over it but she needed to show him that neither she nor Candice cared about it.

"All that matters is being with each other here and now," she said, "Time is precious, you never know when you're gonna run out." He smiled at her and said

"Now that I know you two are safe I could die happy tomorrow. You're mom would be waitin' for me."

"I'm sure she's watching over us," said Candice looking up at the sky. They sat in the silence for a bit longer before Daryl rose to his feet.

"C'mon, time for bed. We gotta get up early tomorrow." She could still hear the fatherly tone in his voice. She knew it would take some time for him to get used to the fact that they were adults so she didn't remind him of her age.

* * *

Beau sat in his basement, looking around at the empty space. He knew he'd have to go out tonight, find some fresh meat. He had a few girls in mind. When he heard a knock on the front door upstairs he quickly got up and left, locking the door behind him. He saw Annalise standing behind the door, a look of concern on her face. He let her in and she started talking.

"I hear about your mom! How is she?"

"She's gonna be ok," said Beau, "The doctors stitched her up and she's still resting in the hospital. She lost a lot of blood so they want to keep her a bit longer until her strength is back up."

"Can we go visit her?" Beau wanted to go back to planning his next kidnapping but he couldn't deny Annalise's beautiful green eyes.

"Sure," he said, "She's probably awake by now." They left the house and headed down the road towards town. Annalise spotted some pink flowers and went over and picked them. She smiled up at him and said

"For your mom." She was caring and loving, everything he wasn't but did she realize that? They continued to walk down the road and then Annalise stopped in her tracks. He looked back at her and said

"What?" She was looking at something on the side of the road and she walked over and knelt down at the base of a tree. He followed behind her and saw that she was looking at a small baby bird. It was chirping loudly in distress.

"Aww, it fell from its nest." Beau looked up to see a birds nest on the branch above. She picked the baby bird gently up in her hands and brought it up so they could get a better look at it. "It'll die if we leave it here," she said, "We gotta take care of it." If Beau had been the one to find it he probably would have just kept walking.

"Can't we put it back in the nest?"

"The mom won't take it back if it's been touched by a human." He nodded and said

"We can get a box for it when we get into town." The little bird was a gray ball of fluff. It cheeped non-stop and when they saw the town come into view he went into the convenience store and got a small shoe box. He picked some soft grass out of the ground and put it on the bottom as a cushion. Annalise put the bird inside and smiled as it got cozy in its new nest.

"I'll have to get some worms for it later." She poked some holes in the top, put it back on, and the bird calmed down. When they got to the hospital a nurse brought them into Beth's room. She was lying in bed and when she saw them walk in she smiled and said

"Hey you two, come to visit for a bit?"

"Ya," Annalise held out the flowers and said "We brought you these." Beth smiled and took them from her.

"What's that?" She pointed to the box Annalise was holding.

"It's a baby bird." She pulled the cover off and leaned it down so Beth could see inside. The baby bird had calmed down now and was sitting contently in the grass. Beau decided to break their conversation and say

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing alright," she said, sitting up against her pillow, "Just a little weak still. My leg's all stitched up but it should leave a pretty nasty scar."

"Well the important thing is that you're alive." Beth smiled at him and said

"If Donna wasn't there I probably would have been pulled back under."

* * *

Georgette waited for Candice to fall asleep before sneaking out. She shut the door quietly, not wanting to alarm anyone. Irving was behind his trailer right where he said he would be. He came forward and scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder. She giggled and said

"Put me down!" He carried her out of the circle of RVs they'd been staying in and into the abandoned area. He finally set her down on her feet when they reached the woods. "Where are we going?"

"I don' know," he said, "Maybe finda nice pond or lake to swim in." She laughed and said

"We should be careful out here."

"Don't worry," he said, "I ain't gonna let anythin' happen to you." They found a narrow path that weaved through the trees and followed it. A large wooden sign nailed to a tree read 'To lake,' with a large arrow pointing further down the path. "See I told you," he said, "There was a lake 'round here somewhere." The path grew steeper and they carefully made their way down. They moved out of the trees and shimmering before them was a big silver lake. Georgette started tearing off her clothes and the cool night air washed over her bare skin. Irving followed her, stripping down to his boxers. When she was down to her panties and bra he picked her up again, running into the water. She kept herself from screaming, not wanting to alert any walkers. She clung to his shoulders as they fell into the water. When she came back to the surface he held her in his arms. She laughed as she tried to get away and he held her tightly. She smiled and said

"Beatcha to the other side." He released her and she took off swimming. They were in a small cove and the shoreline across from them was within reach so it only took her a minute to reach it. Irving was behind her and she was about to taunt him about losing when she saw the bodies lying on the beach. There were three of them. All of them had their limbs cut off and their stomachs cut open. It clearly hadn't been done by a walker. Irving came up next to her, shocked as she was.

"Who could have done this?" Irving didn't answer her and instead stepped forward to get a better look. Georgette followed him, and looked over his shoulder at the carnage. They had been cut up carefully. All of the organs that had been inside had been cut out with precision. A long bloody trail led up into the woods. Cautiously they followed it and walked into a clearing. Destroyed tents were still smoking and several other bodies lay on the ground cut the same way as the ones on the beach. They were about to turn and run when someone stumbled out from behind a tree. Georgette took out her knife, thinking it was a walker. The person collapsed face first onto the ground, weakly looked up at them and began to talk.

"Please help, they came and destroyed everything." Georgette bent down to the man.

"Who?!"

"Don't know who they were." He began to cough painfully and was clearly gravely injured. He had large pussy, red bubbles on his face, hands and legs from severe burns. He had blood all over him and she knew he wouldn't last long. "They wanted us." The phrase sounded weird to Georgette and she said

"What?"

"They came to eat us." With that the man's head dropped back to the ground and his last breath shuttered through his body. It was clear to them now. The dead people littering the ground had been cut open and whatever could be eaten on them was taken. Someone had come into this camp and killed everyone for food. She knew what cannibalism was but had never witnessed it firsthand. She figured that it didn't happen anymore. She figured the remaining people on the planet had survived because they were able to hunt for animals, that the ones who didn't know how to hunt had died off. She was frozen still, unable to move. She watched as Irving quickly plunged his knife into the man's head. He grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards back to the lake.

* * *

Annalise placed the box on her nightstand. Her mother hadn't asked her about what was in it and she was sure she wouldn't care. It was just a baby bird. When it got big enough to fly she'd set it free. She pulled out the jar of worms she had gotten and dropped one into the box for the baby to eat, then she lay down on her bed, letting herself relax a bit. She was so happy that Beau's mother was alright. She hadn't forgotten what Beth had said to her. She needed to make her move on Beau soon. He'd kissed her on the cheek. She was sure he wouldn't reject her.

**Thanks VampireTrekkie1701, K. Lynn Perks, DarylDixon'sLover, Prime13, PlaneJane71, electrickpanda, stateofgrace-xo and all the guests :) Just so you know Irving and Georgette's discovery does not have anything to do with Vince's village. **

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	4. Chapter 4

Beth hurried down the stairs; she couldn't believe it was them. Tyreese had pulled Sasha into a tight hug and Beth slammed into them, making it a group hug. She had never gotten particularly close to Sasha at the prison but just seeing her here now and alive made her heart swell with overwhelming happiness. Sasha seemed to feel just as good.

"We are glad to see you guys!" Beth backed away and instantly slammed Sasha and Bob with questions.

"Did you see anyone else?! Where have you been?!"

"We've been alone since the prison fell," said Bob, "Haven't seen anyone else." Sasha smiled and said

"We've been moving around, hoping we'd find someone."

"We were on Rick's trail for awhile," said Daryl, "But we decided to stop for awhile." It was then that Sasha spotted Beth's belly.

"Beth you're…" Beth felt her face grow red and she nodded, confirming Sasha's suspicions. "Who's? Zach's?" Beth shoke her head and looked over at Daryl who had his hands awkwardly stuffed in his pockets. Sasha understood and her mouth hung open in shock. Then her expression turned to a scowl. "What the fuck Daryl?!" Beth almost laughed at her reaction. Daryl looked like he wanted to disappear through the floor. The way Sasha was reacting strongly reminded Beth of something Maggie would do.

"It's ok," she said, "It was consensual." She walked over to him and took his hand.

"Woulda never thought it'd be you two."

"Neither did we," said Daryl, "It's why we stopped here, can't have her runnin' through the woods in her condition." Sasha was still in awe at the new development.

"Honestly, I thought it'd be Carol." The sound of her name made Daryl cringe and Beth tightened her grip on his hand and ran her thumb over his skin in comfort.

"Well it doesn't matter," said Bob, "The world's changed too much to care about society's old expectations." Beth smiled at him and said

"You guys must be exhausted and hungry, I can make you something." The four of them remained in the hallway, discussing what had happened since the prison. As Beth set up a fire she listened in. Daryl told them what had happened with Carol and Lizzie and how he and Beth had been alone before that. Then Sasha talked about how she and Bob had been wandering around from place to place. When the fire was going she started cooking some meat for them each. She heard someone walk in the room and turned to see Sasha there.

"Hey," said Beth, "They still talking?"

"Ya." Sasha took a seat at the kitchen table. Beth felt her gaze burning into her back.

"I can't believe you're pregnant."

"Me neither," said Beth, "But it's been good so far." As she leaned back over the fire to move the meat around she felt a kick from inside her stomach. "In fact the baby's kicking right now." Sasha rose from her chair and said

"Can I feel?" Beth nodded and Sasha pressed her hand to her stomach. She saw a smile spread across Sasha's face as the baby kicked again. "Daryl of all people."

"What do you mean?"

"I never thought he'd be a father or fall in love."

"He's been great," said Beth, "He wants to stay here until the baby is born and gets older."

"You said you were on Rick's trail?"

"We were for awhile." Sasha smiled and said

"Me and Bob can follow their trail and try to find them during the day and come back here at night." Beth smiled and said

"That would be great."

* * *

Alex lay in his bed, taking a moment to rest before he had to go back out. To his annoyance there was a loud knock on his bedroom door.

"Come in." His twenty year old son Archie walked in. "What is it?"

"Gareth wants you out there; he needs to talk to you." Alex went over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of pants to put on. Back before the walkers he had barely seen Archie. He had been the product of a one night stand and had lived with his mother since he was born. Archie had only visited him once or twice a year. When the disease broke out, Archie had been staying with him because his mother was in the hospital for a simple surgery. Refusing to go and try to save her from the hospital he ran off with Archie to find a lesser populated area to stay safe in. The two had met up with Gareth's group a year later. Starving and unable to hunt for themselves, they'd been living on whatever canned foods they could find. Gareth told them that he and must of the others were bad at hunting and the only reason they'd made it was cannibalizing others. After growing up to around fifty people they put a cap on accepting people in and the group kept to themselves. The only addition in population was when babies were born. People who found the town were killed and used for food. Whenever there was a shortage of people coming in they would go and hunt. It wasn't hard to find other living people. They knew where travelers liked to stay while passing through, just like those three who'd killed off their hunting group.

Archie followed him outside. Alex spotted Gareth waiting for him over by the grills. The smell of freshly cooking meat being grilled by Mary made his stomach growl.

"Hey," he said, "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you about those people." Alex rolled his eyes and said

"I'd like to catch them as much as you do but they're gone."

"We can find 'em." Gareth pulled something out his pocket and showed it to Alex. It was a baby bottle. It was clean and looked like it hadn't been sitting out in the elements for a long time.

"What's this mean?"

"I found it by the side of the road near the town they killed our guys in. It's definitely from them. Nobody's been through there since and the bottle wasn't there before. My guess is that they didn't realize this fell out of their bag when they were getting in their car." Archie chimed in and said

"If they left in a car then there's no way to track them." Alex looked back at him, silencing him from speaking anymore with one stern, irritated look. The boy looked down at his feet, keeping quiet.

"We can try," said Gareth, "We'll follow the road and search for clues in where they got out or started walking."

* * *

The next day Daryl went out with Bob to hunt. Tyreese was close to finishing the fence around the house so they left him to it. Sasha had decided to help him with it and hang around with Beth. They stalked through the woods quietly. Bob wasn't the best hunter but he'd bagged a few rabbits back at the prison and he needed all the help he could get. They walked out onto a road and into a small suburb he'd looted weeks ago. He'd taken just food and weapons then but now since they had settled in he figured he'd go back and grab some more material items such as blankets, toys for the baby and maybe even some jewelry for Beth. He walked into the first house, the door already kicked in. As they were walking through the kitchen he saw Bob look at an old rack of wine bottles on the wall.

"Don't even think about it." There was no way he was letting Bob anywhere near Beth if he started drinking again. He made a mental note to get rid of the still half-filled bottle he'd brought home last night. Bob looked away and followed Daryl to the stairs. They went up and Bob said

"I'm gonna go look around." They wen their separate ways, Daryl went into the first bedroom. There was a white fluffy blanket covered in dust. He picked it up and waved it out in front of him, sending a cloud of dust into the air. He folded it up and tucked into his backpack. Next he saw a jewelry box sitting on top of the dresser. He and Merle had spent a lot of their time stealing and breaking into houses. Jewelry was one of Merle's favorite things to take besides money as it usually fetched a high price at the pawn shop. Now it didn't matter. Whoever this had belonged to was long gone. He pushed off the cover and looked inside. There were several rings, necklaces and bracelets sitting inside. He dumped everything out onto the bed and tried to decide what he thought Beth would like best. He looked through the necklaces and found a beautiful silver necklace with a diamond musical note dangling on the end. He quickly pocketed and went to leave the room. When he turned around Bob was standing there.

"Whatcha doing?" He felt awkward standing there, having been caught in a soft moment. He was a bit angry that the man had walked up behind him so easily without him noticing.

"Jus' pickin' out some stuff for Beth." Bob smiled and said

"A ring maybe?"

"No," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the necklace, "This."

"Well maybe you should think about getting her a ring."

"Whatdya mean?"

"Well she is pregnant with your kid and you do love her right?"

"Ya."

"Well then get her a ring."

"All that marriage crap don't matter anymore." The idea of marriage scared him despite the fact that he was in love with Beth.

"Glenn did it for Maggie," he said, "Even if there ain't a priest around it'd still be nice." He couldn't believe he was having a heart to heart conversation about marriage with Bob.

"Ya maybe." Bob just shrugged, turned and left. Daryl looked back over at the pile of jewelry on the bed. One ring stuck out to him the most. It looked like the traditional engagement ring, silver with a diamond on top. He quickly grabbed it and slipped it into his pocket along with the necklace.

They moved on from the neighborhood and back into the woods. They trudged through the snow, keeping their eyes ahead to spot any deer or other animals. They shot a few rabbits which would be a big enough meal for all of them but Daryl wanted to find a few more so they could have extra food if needed. As he kept walking he heard a cracking sound from somewhere around him. He stopped and cleared some of the snow from around his feet. It was then that he realized he was on a frozen river or pond. He turned to go back but a large crack split the air and he went into the bone chilling water.

* * *

Beth sat out in the greenhouse, reclined on one of the chairs. It was so warm out there on sunny days and she loved to sit and relax. She was singing a soft tune to herself and to the baby when she heard someone walk in. It was Sasha.

"Hey," said Beth, "You and Tyreese finished with the wall?"

"Yup," she said, "He's still outside though, making sure there are no weak spots." Sasha took a seat on the empty chair across from her and said "When are you due?"

"Spring." Sasha smiled and said

"I remember when we first came to the prison and I saw you with Judith. I thought you were her mom, you were a natural at taking care of her." Beth smiled, the thought of Judith becoming less painful. She was either alive and well with someone who had left the prison or up in heaven with Lori. Thinking that put Beth's mind at ease.

"I love babies," she said, "I used to babysit a lot before the turn."

"You're going to be a great mother Beth." She smiled and said

"Thanks." The sound of the front door slamming from inside interrupted their conversation. She heard Daryl's voice and she got up.

"Hopefully they brought something good back!" Sasha stood up next to her and said

"Some more venison would be nice." She saw the three men standing in the kitchen. Daryl's appearance shocked her. He was completely soaked, shaking and covered in mud.

"What happened?!"

"I fell in a river," he said, "I'm fine, no big deal, just need to thaw in front of the fire for a bit."

"It's not no big deal!" Beth could see his lips turning blue. "You could get hypothermia!"

"Ya well I probably woulda stayed in there if Bob hadn't pulled me out." Beth looked over at Bob appreciatively and then turned back to him. She started pushing him towards the living room. "Come on! You need some hot soup and a blanket." Bob went to start the soup for Daryl over the kitchen fireplace while Sasha and Tyreese got to skinning the rabbits they'd brought in.

Beth dragged him upstairs and into their bedroom. She helped remove his clothes and then pushed him onto the bed. Grabbing as many blankets as she could she covered him completely. She could still feel him shivering and slipped in with him, ignoring his still wet and muddy body against hers. She felt him snake his arms around her and hold a hand to her stomach.

"It ain't a big deal."

"Well what if Bob hadn't been there?"

"Don't think like that," he said, "Nothin's gonna keep me from coming back to you at the end of the day." He kissed her, his cold lips against her warm ones. She snuggled as close to him as possible, sharing her body heat with him.

When he finally stopped shivering and his skin went back to its natural color he reached for his pants still lying heavy and wet on the floor.

"Got somethin' for you while I was out." She saw him reach into the pocket and pull out a silver chain. Attached to the end was a diamond musical note. She smiled at him and kissed him again. She quickly put it around her neck.

"It's beautiful," she said, "Thank you so much Daryl." She knew it hadn't cost him any money and he'd probably taken it from a house but it didn't matter. It meant just as much to her. It hung on her chest, shimmering in the dim candlelight. She curled up into him again and said "I love you."

"I love you too Elizabeth."

**Thanks K. Lynn Perks, DarylDixon'sLover and stateofgrace-xo for commenting :) You guys are awesome! Keep posting your predictions, comments, questions or concerns in the reviews lol :)**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	5. Chapter 5

Georgette and Irving forgot about trying to hide the fact that they had been out together. When they reached the opposite shore they quickly pulled their clothes on and ran back up the trail, still soaked. Irving grabbed onto Georgette's hand again, making sure she stayed with him and didn't fall behind. They burst out of the woods and into the campground. They pounded on the first trailer door they knew someone was staying in. To her horror, Daryl opened it, still half asleep. When he saw the two of them standing there, soaked to the bone he got wide-eyed and said

"What the hell is goin' on?" Irving had yet to catch his breath so Georgette said

"We found a small camp by the lake, it was destroyed and everyone there had been cut open. One man who was still alive told us that cannibals had come and killed them for food." Daryl blinked, what she was saying not quite registering in his head completely.

"What the hell were you doin' at a lake?"

"It doesn't matter!" She knew that she and Irving were caught but that wasn't what they needed to worry about right now. "We should leave!" Daryl looked wildly confused and she heard someone moving from inside behind him. Pedro appeared behind him, rubbing his eyes.

"Alright hold on, just relax." Daryl grabbed a shirt and pulled it on and then came outside. Pedro watched him, his eyes squinted. Daryl looked at Irving and said

"What have you got to say for yourself?"

"It went exactly like she said; found the camp burnt to the ground 'n one dyin' guy told us cannibals came through. All the bodies were cut up perfectly. Limbs were gone 'n the organs were taken out."

"What's wakin' everyone up 'n gettin' back on the road gonna do? Might as well stay here till mornin' and keep quiet until we have light." Her father was making sense. If there were murderous lunatics running around the woods they'd hear the sound of the ATV and try to ambush them.

"Well someone oughta keep watch," she said, "Until the sun comes up." Her father nodded and said

"I can do it, ain't many hours left in the night anyway." Satisfied with what he'd heard, Pedro turned and went back inside the trailer to sleep. Georgette turned to go back to she and Candice's trailer but she heard her father say

"Stop, I wanna talk to you." She watched as Irving headed back to bed, leaving her alone with Daryl. She couldn't read his face on whether he was angry or upset. She walked back over to him and said

"What is it?"

"What were you 'n Irving doin' out there together?" She scrambled to come up with some excuse.

"Nothing," she said, rubbing the back of her neck, "He wanted to go look for a lake or something to wash off in. I told him I needed a bathe too so we went together. I was supposed to take a bath first and I saw three of the bodies lying on the shore across the lake so we both swam across to get a better look." She knew from the look in his eyes that he didn't completely believe her.

"Is that it?" She nodded and said

"Ya."

* * *

Daryl didn't completely buy her story, but it was late and he knew with danger nearby he should get on watch. He nodded and said

"Get back to bed."

"You sure you don't want me to sit with you?"

"Nah," he said, "You go get some rest." He smiled at her, trying to ease the tension between them. He brought his hand up to the back of her head and lightly kissed her forehead. "Love you." She grinned back at him and said

"I love you too dad." She hugged him tightly and then turned to leave, heading back to her trailer. He watched her go and then turned to climb up the ladder to get on top of he and Pedro's trailer. Once he was up there he sat down and looked out at the open field. When he saw a flicker of movement on the tree line he stood up, his crossbow at the ready. Someone walked out into the glare of the moonlight and he realized it was just a lone walker trudging along. He sat back down and kept his eye on it, sure that it would be another half an hour before it even reached their trailers.

The warm night air felt good and he tried to push his suspicions about Irving and Georgette out of his head. His younger cousin running around with his much younger daughter? That and the fact that they were related should deter them from even considering anything other than a close friendship. That bothered him more than the age thing. He and Beth were decades apart and they had fallen completely in love and he wouldn't judge his daughters if they decided to be with an older man. He shoke his head and ran his hand through his long hair. He'd only known his daughters again for about a week and they were already giving him trouble. Beth had said to him when both Georgette and Candice were born that she was his little girl and no matter what he'd always be protective of them, young or old.

* * *

Georgette lay back down on her temporary bed, the musty air filling her nostrils as she took a deep breath and tried to get comfortable again. She's changed into dry clothes and rung out her wet hair so that she was comfortable. Candice slept on the bed next to her, her eyelids softly fluttering as she continued to dream on. Georgette pulled the covers over her body and wrapped up in them, suddenly feeling very cold. Her father knew something was up but that wasn't what was on her mind. Images of the mutilated bodies repeatedly flashed through her mind. The voice of the man with the blistering and boiling flesh continued to echo in her ears. She wished that Irving was there with her.

* * *

Beau circled the woman on the floor slowly. He could smell her blood and sense her intense fear. She was shaking violently and whimpering in pain. Her hand was gnarled and twisted as he'd crushed in his own when he'd dragged her across the floor. Her head had been split open on the concrete and her blonde hair was a fresh dark shade of red. He leaned down so he was right in her face.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," he said, "But what was your name again?" Instead of telling him she spit in his face. He was shocked for a moment, and then red hot rage ran through him. He yelled and wiped the spit from his face. "You dumb fucking cunt!" He grabbed her by the throat and squeezed as hard as he could. He heard the girl gasping for air as he closed off her windpipe. He could feel her pulse beneath his fingers, wild and fast like that of a small bird fluttering in his fingers. He felt it slow as he continued to hold her. Her eyes seemed to bulge out of the sockets and blood started to spurt up from her mouth and run down her face and neck. He felt that familiar high that he loved so much. It put him on top of the world and made him dizzy and light-headed with excitement.

Soon she was limp in his hands and he dropped her to the ground. Her neck was now crushed and was completely black and red with bruising. The blood continued to seep from her lips, nose and eyes and pooled on the ground. He'd popped her head like a soda can. He picked her body up by the neck again and dragged her over to his workbench. He set the body down across it and sat down. He pulled out his large hunting knife and got to work. He first cut the girl open from collarbone to pelvis. Then he gently began to skin the body. It took him awhile as he did the entire thing. Soon he had a flesh suit. He only had two other ones hanging down in his trophy room. He usually only made masks but he hadn't felt this good in awhile and he wanted a reminder of it. Maybe someday if he ever found it in him to kill Annalise he'd stuff her body like a deer head and keep it down there. He heard a knock on his basement door and then Vince's voice.

"It's just me." Beau let his guard down as the man walked in, a smile on his face when he saw what Beau was up too.

"Is that the girl that's been following you around like a lost puppy?" Beau realized he was referring to Annalise.

"No," he said, "Different girl."

"Well when are you gonna get her?"

"I'm not."

"Oh come on," said Vince, "Cute little piece of ass like that is a dime-a-dozen. Plenty of tramps like that running around here." Beau wanted to tell him that Annalise was different, she wasn't like the others, but he wouldn't understand.

"But you like my mother?"

"I ain't looking at her with puppy dog eyes like you are looking at that girl; she'll be a good lay, that's about it." Beau knew in the back of his mind Vince would end up killing his mother like the rest of the women he screwed around with. Frankly he didn't care who his mother had relations with, he didn't like to think much about it. "Don't go soft on me," he said, "I worked to get on top and you're gonna take it over for me. I spent years being a second class citizen to others and I built his empire on my own."

"I'm not." He grabbed the skin off of the table and held it up to Vince. "If I was going soft I wouldn't of done this." That satisfied Vince enough and he said

"Come on let's go play some pool downstairs."

* * *

Beth was getting ready for bed when there was a sharp knock on her door. Unsure on who it could be she opened the door a crack and looked out. Annalise was standing there, her face badly bruised and her lip bleeding. She was shaking and seemed to be hyperventilating and crying. It was way past curfew and if Vince found her out she would have been in even deeper trouble. She held a small box in her hands. She instantly opened the door and said

"What happened?!"

"M-My mother found out about sneaking out with Beau." That was news to Beth but it didn't surprise her, Annalise and Beau had become closer. "She found the dress I wore and figured it out. I hadn't owned the dress beforehand so she knew." Annalise rushed forward and pulled Beth into a hug. Beth tightly hugged her back, letting the girl sob into her shoulder. "She beat me up and then kicked me out."

"It's ok," said Beth, rubbing her back soothingly, "Come inside, you can stay here." Annalise looked at her with swollen black and blue eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Beth shut the door and re-locked it. "Here sit down, are you hungry?" Annalise nodded and set her box down on the table. As Beth was starting a fire to cook she looked at it and said "What's in there?" Annalise seemed to have calmed down a little bit and she said

"A baby bird me and Beau found on the ground outside. I've been taking care of it." Beth smiled warmly and said

"Sounds like something I would have done when I was a teenager." Beth set a piece of gator meat out to cook and then went to clean up Annalise's bruised and bloodied face. She wet a cloth and then gently began to wipe her cuts out. When she was done she said "I have some clothes you can sleep in."

"I left all my stuff over at my house," she said, "But I'm not going back for it."

"I will," said Beth sternly, "Your mom can't say no to me and if she tries to stop me I'm sure Vince will have something to say about it." She turned back to check the meat over the fire. Having Vince's affections had its advantages. He was a major creep but if she wanted something done he would assist her.

* * *

When Georgette woke up that next morning she felt pretty shitty. Despite being in the lake she was still dirty. She had barely gotten any sleep. When she walked outside she saw a few people sitting around the fire and eating. They looked up at her and Odilia said

"Hey! We heard what happened last night. Your dad what's to get going real soon in case those people are still hangin' around." Georgette just nodded and sat down next to her. She grabbed a piece of venison and dug in, hoping a full stomach would make her feel a bit better. She saw Irving watching her from across the fire. He had an unreadable look on his face. When the others disperse and it was just she and him he finally began to talk to her.

"Your dad has an idea on what's goin' on I just know it."

"He spoke to me last night, I told him we were going to take a bath and saw the bodies across the lake but I don't think he bought it." Irving nodded and said

"What do you wanna do about it?" Part of Georgette wanted to keep going with what they were doing. She was an adult; she could make her own decisions. But another side of her wanted to respect her father.

"We'll keep meeting in secret."

* * *

Candice was lifting one of the heavier bags into the trailer when she felt a pair of hands take it from her.

"Need a hand?" She looked up to see Carl smiling down at her.

"Ya," she said, "Thanks."

"No problem." He set the bag down and then said "So how was your sleep?"

"Good," she said, "What happened with my sister last night though, I feel kinda guilty about it." He frowned and said

"What do you mean?"

"I heard the door open and shut, I just thought she was going out to go to the bathroom but if I had woken up and followed her maybe she wouldn't have found that camp and everything would be going smoothly." Carl put a large hand on her shoulder and said

"Don't feel that way, if she hadn't of found the camp we wouldn't know that there was any danger nearby." Candice smiled and said

"Ya I guess so." She looked up into his bright blue eyes that matched her own. They were bright and seemed to hold nothing but care and concern for her. She felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach, like butterflies. She couldn't help but remember when Angela would read them romantic fairy tale books about princesses being rescued by their one true love. Angela had told them when they found that special someone they would know it. Love would not be instant but with the way he was making her feel she was sure it could be a future possibility.

**Thanks K. Lynn Perks, DarylDixon'sLover, stateofgrace-xo, Eliza and all the guests for commenting :) The banner for Cruel Season is now posted in my profile page. I also posted a map of the groups journey through Georgia and Alabama. The blue line represents the path they're taking. **

**Also not trying to solicit you guys but I recently opened my own Etsy shop where I sell jewelry. I would love if you guys would go check it out :) It's called NorthWoodsJewelry and I currently have three items up on there. The link to it is posted in my profile page**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	6. Chapter 6

After she'd gotten some hot soup into Daryl and the color returned to his body he went to take a shower to wash the mud off. Beth sat at the fire with Bob, Sasha and Tyreese, a full belly making her feel drowsy. She was half asleep with her head leaned back on a pillow when she heard Sasha get up and start to look through some of the cabinets. She let out a gasp of excitement and said

"Look what I found!" Beth opened her eyes and saw that Sasha was referring to a stack of board games. She grabbed them and set them down on the coffee table. "I haven't played a board game in forever!" Beth instantly sat up and spotted Monopoly in the pile. She and her family used to play it all the time. She pulled it out and Sasha smiled and said

"Good choice, I used to love playing Monopoly!" The two girls instantly started to set it up on the table.

"Come guys come play!"

"I wanna be the ship!" Sasha bragged the small metal piece from the box. Beth chose the dog and let the boys chose their pieces out. Tyreese then said

"Should we wait for Daryl?" Beth got up and said

"I'll go see if he's almost out." She headed upstairs and knocked on the bathroom door. "Hey we're playing a game, you almost done?" She heard the water stop and the door opened. He was standing there naked, water dripping down his body. At any other time she would have jumped on him but she was excited to play the game and restrained herself. He grabbed a towel off the rack and wrapped it around his waist.

"What game?"

"A board game." She saw him cringe a bit and she said "Aww come on, it'll be fun. Have you ever played Monopoly?"

"No."

"Well you'll like it." He quickly got dressed and they headed back downstairs. They explained the basic rules to him and decided that they'd tell him more as they went along. Sasha went first and the game moved quickly. It became clear about a half hour in that Daryl, along with Sasha were getting into it. Soon enough it was just them left playing against each other, everyone else had gone bankrupt. When Daryl finally won an hour and a half later Sasha knocked the board off of the table and said

"Fuck you Dixon!" Daryl laughed and leaned back against the couch, enjoying his victory. Playfully she said "I want a rematch!"

"Na uh," he said, "That game's too long."

"Well tomorrow night," she said, "I'm gonna take you down." Daryl just smiled at her as she packed the game back into its box.

* * *

Alex and Gareth decided to hold a town meeting that next day. They wanted to get everyone's opinion on hunting down the murderers. Alex didn't consider himself a murderer, they killed and ate their victims, this group had killed an entire group of people and left their bodies there to rot. Gareth stood above the small crowd along with Alex.

"You all know that a group of our hunters were brutally killed awhile back by three people who are still on the loose." A soft murmur moved throughout the crowd. "We thought that there would be no way to track them but we found this." Gareth held up the baby bottle. "The woman in the group was pregnant and I have good reason to believe that this was dropped by her on the side of the road when they were getting in a car. We can follow the road and see if we find anything that could lead us to them but we'll need others to help us. Who's with me?" A load sound of approval rose from the crowd and Gareth smiled. "Good, when we find them they won't go unpunished." Alex spotted Archie standing off to the side waiting for him. When the crowd disperse and Gareth went to speak to some of the people, Alex left the stage. Archie walked along with him and said

"Do you think you'll get them?" Alex shrugged and said

"We can only hope."

"If it's true the woman's pregnant are you going to kill her too?" Alex looked at his son in disbelief.

"Of course! Not only did she kill our people, she's a two in one meal." His son hadn't been desensitized enough. He needed to understand what it meant to live, not just survive. He just shoke his head and said "Come on I wanna show you something." He led Archie over to Gareth's house. Gareth still wasn't home but Alex knew he wouldn't mind him showing Archie the way. He went into the backyard and opened up the front doors of the old barn. He shut the door after him and moved onto the next door on the other side of the room. It led to a whindy dark staircase. Alex followed after him and said

"This is where you and Gareth prepare the meals isn't it?" Alex grabbed Archie's wrist before he could turn and leave.

"It is, and it's time you help out."

"But-"

"You've been eating other people for years, time to learn where you food comes from." Alex smiled and said "And some more." They walked down into the cellar room. There were three people chained to the wall. All of which had missing limbs except for one woman over in the corner. She saw them and cowered against the wall, crying out in fear. Alex grabbed an axe that had been hung up on the wall and handed it to Archie. "Start with one of the legs first," he said, "I'll start heating up the pan to cauterize her wound when you're done." He went over to the stove and got down to business. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Alex, making sure he didn't back out.

* * *

Archie slowly approached the woman, she shoke her head at him. She couldn't talk because of the gag in her mouth. He felt a twinge of sympathy as she sobbed and shoke with fear. He needed to do this. His father would be proud of him and he'd stopped getting treated like a second class citizen. He grabbed her foot and tried to pull it out. She screamed in horror, struggling to get her leg back tucked underneath her. He heard his father say

"Hey." Archie looked over at him. He tossed him a leather belt. "Tie her leg up above her thigh so the blood stops flowing." Archie tried to do as he was told but again it was struggle with her, even if her feet were cuffed together. He final got her to be still by sitting down on her lower leg and strapping the belt on. He kept his foot down on her ankle with as much pressure as possible. She thrashed and screamed below him and that was the first time he felt it. He stood over with the axe as she helplessly cried for help. It gave him a high that no drug could ever give him. He felt dizzy with power. He brought the axe up above his head and brought it down just below the belt. The woman screeched in pain. The nasty, uneven wound hadn't gone all the way through and he brought the axe down again, managing to shop her leg off. His father came over with a red hot cooking pan and quickly cauterized the large wound. The woman had stopped screaming and passed out in shock and horror. His father said

"Remind me to start cuffing them to the walls, makes it harder if they're only cuffed at the ankles, they can still move around pretty good." Alex only half heard him. He was still caught up in his high. He turned to his father and said

"Can I do this again?" Alex shrugged and said

"Ya, you like it?"

"Love it." He heard someone coming downstairs and Gareth appeared in the room. He gave his father a look and Alex turned to him and said

"Go on, me and Gareth gotta talk." Archie's pleasure was ruined. "Take that leg up to the freezer." His father still was still treating him this way after he'd done what he wanted him too. He just dropped the axe and went back up the stairs.

* * *

Beth knew Daryl had gone out on an early morning run with Bob and Tyreese, leaving she and Sasha to hold down the fort. She had expected him to be out until noon but when he came walking up the backyard alone she instantly got worried. She opened up the door and called out to him.

"Everything alright?" He didn't look like he was in distress.

"Ya." When he reached the door he pulled her in for a kiss and said "I found somethin' for you. He took his bag off and reached inside. He pulled out several balls of yarn, needles and other knitting and sewing supplies. "Figured if your gonna be here all day you'd wanna start a new hobby." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks, but where are the others?"

"Still out there," he said, "Told 'em I'd meet them in town after I brought you this stuff." Beth nodded and said

"Well get going, I'll have something made by the time you get back."

Beth went back inside and found Sasha in the living room.

"Who was that?"

"Just Daryl," she said, "Brought me some stuff." She spilled out all of the yarn and sewing supplies onto the coffee table. "You can use it too if you want."

"Thanks," said Sasha, "But I'm no good at knitting, tried it once with my mom and it didn't work out." Beth smiled and said

"I think I'm gonna make some stuff for the baby." Sasha said

"Make some cute little booties." Beth remembered what Daryl had said about the booties back in the town. She laughed and said

"Daryl wanted to get the baby some work boots to match his own. But I'm gonna make some cute booties anyway, he'll just have to suck it up." Sasha laughed and said

"You guys are awesome together."

"Thanks."

"I've been thinking lately, me and Bob got pretty close on the road. Maybe I should try to tell him how I really feel."

"You should," said Beth, "You can't wait on things like that. We don't have the time. You never know what tomorrow is gonna bring."

"Ya you're right," she said, "When he gets back I will." Beth started knitting right away. She had done some knitting with her mother before the walkers and it was like riding a bicycle, she was able to get right back into it. She decided that since Daryl had made gloves for the baby she'd make a little hat before she started on the booties. She chose to go with a dark green color. The baby would be born in spring so any winter clothes she made would have to be slightly bigger in size than that of a newborn. They'd be able to find the majority of the clothes in stores.

* * *

Daryl, Bob and Tyreese walked down the street. They easily took out the few walkers lurking around and then began to loot the stores for supplies. They'd only searched the first block the last time they' been here and moved onto the second block. Daryl went into a small supermarket. After grabbing some stale candy off the counter for himself, he moved on into the aisles, grabbing soup, spaghetti and other non-perishable items. The store was connected to a pharmacy and Daryl went inside. He found some pre-natal vitamins for Beth and then looked around more, checking to see if there was anything else they needed. Since they had arrived they'd stocked up on basic things like bandages, Advil, etc, but it didn't hurt to bring more back. As he was stuffing some bottles into his bag he heard a yell and instantly stopped what he was doing. He ran outside and saw Bob and Tyreese running up the street towards the store. Behind them was a large herd of walkers.

"Shit!" He busted the door open and yelled "What happened?!" Tyreese reached him first.

"They came outta nowhere!" The three turned and ran towards the woods. It was then that another large group rounded the corner and trapped them in. Daryl frantically looked around and said

"C'mon this way!" They ran into one of the stores and shut the doors after them, locking it by putting a metal rod through the handles. He knew it wouldn't hold forever and they had to escape quickly. They found a staircase that led up to the second floor. When Daryl reached the top of the stairs he heard a horrified scream. He turned to see that Bob had fallen on the stairs and a walker had his foot. Before Tyreese or Daryl could react quick enough, the walker sunk its rotting teeth into Bob's ankle, taking a chunk out of him. Tyreese speared the walker through the head with his knife and then grabbed onto Bob and carried him up the stairs. Daryl knew what they had to do.

"Hold him down for me!" Tyreese did as he was told and laid Bob on the ground, keeping him from struggling. Daryl ripped his belt off and tied it above Bob's ankle. He took out the small hatchet he'd made a habit of carrying around with him and without hesitation, brought it down hard. Bob screamed in agony. Daryl brought the hatchet down again, cutting his torn ankle and foot off cleanly. He took the bandages from his bag and ripped open the package. He could hear the banging on the door downstairs. He unraveled it and quickly wrapped it around Bob's stump the best he could. He and Tyreese held him up and they made their way to the stairwell that led to the roof. Bob moved in and out of consciousness, his head going limp against Daryl's shoulder. When they reached the roof, they laid him down and then barricaded the door with a metal baseball bat that Tyreese had picked up on the floor below. Daryl and Tyreese looked down over the edge and saw a stream of walkers pouring into the door below.

"We gotta be quiet," said Tyreese, "Maybe they won't know we're up here." Daryl nodded and looked over at Bob who was now fully unconscious on the ground. He lowered his voice and said

"Think he'll pull through?" Tyreese shrugged and said

"I don't know, if we can't get out of here and get him back home it'll be bad." Daryl looked over the edge again. Walkers were now lurking around the entrance and around the building. The buildings on either side were too far to consider jumping across. Tyreese went to properly bandage Bob's stump as Daryl had done a rushed job on the floor below. He kept his eye on the roof door, hoping and praying that the walkers wouldn't detect them.

* * *

Beth and Sasha sat at the table waiting for the men to come home. They expected them an hour ago and now the sun had almost gone down, casting a dark orange glow across the field. Beth looked up at Sasha and said

"Do you think they're alright?"

"They're just a little late," said Sasha, "They'll be here soon." Beth kept her eyes on the woods outside, scanning it for any movement.

* * *

Daryl sat against the wall. Tyreese lay next to him along with Bob. Every now and then Daryl would check to see if the walkers had cleared out but they never did. His stomach grumbled hungrily and he would kill for a piece of venison or squirrel meat. He closed his eyes and thought of Beth. It was nighttime now. The sun had set about two hours ago. What was Beth thinking right now? Was she worried sick like he was?

* * *

"We need to do something." Beth looked at Sasha, her eyes full of fear.

"What do you suggest we do?"

"We need to go out and look for them."

"It's dark out; if they're out there they're laying low and keeping quiet. And you're pregnant!" Beth felt a hot streak of rebellion and anger. She grabbed her handgun from the counter and said

"I'm going anyway, with or without you." Beth turned to leave and then stopped and looked back at Sasha. "Bob's out there and so is your brother." She left and went out the front door. She paused when she reached the bottom of the steps and as she had expected, she heard the door open and close behind her. She heard Sasha say

"Let's go."

**Thanks dee22dee, DarylDixon'sLover, stateofgrace-xo and all the guests for commenting :) Got my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday and as miserable as it feels, I have lots of time to sit and write lol.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	7. Chapter 7

They moved on further, keeping their eyes out for any signs of other people. They reached Gadsden, Alabama by the afternoon and stopped for lunch before entering. The name was printed on the map which indicated it was probably a small city rather than a town. Daryl wanted to be well prepared to raid this village so he took Odilia aside. He took out an old pencil and some paper and lay it in front of her.

"I need you to make a map of the village for me." He took a seat next to her on the picnic table.

"All of it? Even what's outside the perimeter?"

"Ya," he said, "When we get there we need a plan." Odilia picked up the pencil and began to draw. To him it looked like a bunch of squares and lines but as she kept going it got more detailed.

"They really care about you." He looked up at her surprised. She was focused on drawing but she kept talking. "Georgette and Candice I mean, you 'n their mom was all they'd talk about the whole way to Georgia." He could see the sadness in Odilia's eyes and he said

"You miss your mom don' you?" She nodded and said

"I keep hopin' she's still alive by the time we get there. I'm sure she will be. That fuckin' psychopath only likes younger girls. He wouldn't kill my mom unless he had too." He saw her fist tighten around the pencil.

"This man runs the village?"

No, he's only second in command. Vince runs the village. He made everyone believe he was a good guy but he's a manipulative liar. He 'n Beau, the guy who chased me out, have been torturin' and killin' people for a long time. Eventually Beau will take things over." She went on to tell him about how she had seen Vince and his friends kill the man in the woods. "I'm sure I became their next target cause they knew I was suspicious." The name Beau rang a bell in Daryl's head. With a sinking heart he remembered that it had been the name he and Beth had picked out if they ever had a baby boy. As he waited for her to finish the map he took a look around. Carlotta and Sarah sat around the fire cooking lunch. He spotted Georgette talking with Irving. She had a smile on her face as he said something to her and then she started laughing, her bright blue eyes sparkling in the sun. He took a deep breath and looked away. He needed to learn to let go of certain things. But how was he supposed to do that when he'd just gotten them back?

* * *

When Annalise woke up her face still felt stiff and painful. It took her a moment to remember that she was in the guest room of Beth's house. The thought of her mother sparked fear inside of her and she was on her feet in a few seconds. When she opened the bedroom door early morning sunlight poured in. She could smell something cooking and her stomach grumbled. She caught a glimpse of her face in a mirror hung on the wall. The swelling had gone down but she was still bruised pretty badly. She found Beth in the kitchen cooking breakfast.

"Hey how do you feel?"

"A bit better," said Annalise, "I don't know what I'm gonna do when I go back there-"

"You don't have too," said Beth, "You can stay here. I'll go get your stuff for you." Annalise didn't want to impose on Beth's home.

"You don't mind?"

"Of course not," she said, "I get lonely here; it'd nice to have some company." The two sat down to eat breakfast.

"How are you gonna get in the house without my mom attacking you?"

"Don't worry about it," she said, "I'll have Vince help me."

When they were finished eating Beth gave Annalise some more of her clothes. They fit Annalise pretty well but were slightly baggy. While Beth was much taller than her and curvier she was short and almost stick thin. "We'll head over to Vince's office, he's probably there."

"What are you gonna say to him?"

"I'll tell him what happened and that you're gonna live with me from now on. He'll help us." As they walked through town it was clear people had just started waking up and starting their day as they walked past. Annalise tried to hide her face as best she could but she got some strange looks. Vince's office was on the second floor of the town hall. The room was the grandest in town and he could usually be found sitting behind his large mahogany desk. What he did there Annalise didn't know but it had to be important, he was the leader after all. When they walked in he was leaning back in his leather chair, his feet propped up on the desk. His eyes lit up with satisfaction when he saw Beth.

"What brings you here?"

"I need your help." He didn't even look at her as he stared up into Beth's face.

"What kind of help?" Annalise could sense the seduction in his voice. Whatever was going on between the two Beth wasn't feeding into it. She kept a serious tone and said

"Annalise came to me last night." Beth moved aside so Vince could get a look at her. He finally broke his gaze and stared at her. "Her mother is abusive and she doesn't want to live there anymore. She kicked her out last night but she left all of her stuff behind. I need to get in there and get her stuff back but I'm not sure her mother I going to be so welcoming." Vince was silent for a moment as he continued to stare at Annalise and take in her injuries.

"Beau must be pissed," he smirked, "He really cares about you doesn't he?"

"He doesn't know yet," said Beth, "But it'd probably be a good idea to tell him." Annalise felt her stomach flip nervously at the idea. Her face looked terrible and she didn't want him to see her like this. Would he think she was ugly? Beth turned to her and said

"Why don't you go get him while we try to reason with your mother." Annalise wanted to refuse but she said

"Sure, is he at his house?" Vince nodded and said

"I trust you can find your way, you've been there so much lately."

* * *

Beth and Vince walked downtown towards Annalise's house.

"So," he said, "Beau really likes that girl doesn't he?"

"How'd you know," said Beth sarcastically. She knew very well that Beau told him everything. She heard him laugh at her and say

"I can see it; he didn't have to tell me."

"What have you two been doing lately? I barely see him anymore, unless he's with Annalise."

"Just getting him prepared."

"Prepared?"

"For when he needs to take things over."

"Why you getting ready to die?" He laughed and said

"No, just making sure he's gonna make a good leader and keep doing things the way I'm doing them."

* * *

Annalise made her way slowly to Beau's house, keeping her head down and hidden under the hood of her sweater. When she finally reached the front door she knocked softly. It took a minute before he came to the door and when he opened it and saw her for the first time his jaw dropped.

"What the hell happened to you?!" She couldn't help but burst out in tears. He pulled her into a hug and she buried her face into his chest as he rubbed her back comfortingly.

"My mother," she said, "She kicked me out!"

"Why?!" She could see the anger and concern etched across his face.

"She found out about me sneaking out with you that night. She beat me up and threw me out." She felt his body stiffen in her arms. He abruptly pulled away from her. His eyes were full of rage. They were unlike anything she'd seen before. His pupils were completely dilated, so much so that they almost filled up the blue of his iris. He reached behind the front door and pulled something off a rack on the wall. She gasped in horror when she saw that it was a baseball bat. Protruding from the wood were sharp nails. She wasn't sure if the red tinge was dried blood or rust. His grin was malicious and evil.

"We'll teach that bitch a lesson." He seemed to be off in his own world as he ran his fingers lovingly over the tips of the nails. She grabbed onto it and tried to pull it away from him. She had no idea where the sudden rage had come from but she didn't like it.

"No! We can't," she said, "Your mom's got is covered. She went to talk to her. I'm gonna move in with her!" She looked into his eyes, trying to convince him. She watched as his pupils slowly shrunk back to normal. He dropped the bat and brought his hand up to her face so he was gently cupping her cheek. He ran his thumb softly across her skin as he continued to look into her eyes. They were so close to each other, their noses nearly touching. She heard him whisper

"No one's going to ever touch you like that again." And with a gentle tug his lips were on hers. They were soft and wet. Annalise didn't know what she was doing, she'd never kissed anyone before but she was loving it. When they finally broke apart she could see the deep emotion in his eyes. "C'mon inside." She walked past him and into the kitchen. She was overwhelmed by her emotions. She was still sad about what had happened with her mother, but overjoyed at the same time. But strongest of all she felt rebellious. All the years of being sheltered and cooped up inside were finally getting to her. She felt wild. She turned to see Beau close the front door and then look up at her. She stared at him a bit longer. He cocked an eyebrow at her and said

"What?" That was when she lunged at him.

He thought she was going to attack him but when he felt her lips on his again it was clear what she wanted. She jumped onto him so that her legs were firmly wrapped around his waist. Her kisses were hot and passionate and he couldn't help but let out a groan as he felt her digging her nails into the back of neck as she clung to him. He carried her to the stairwell. She hopped off of him and grabbed his wrist, pulling him up the stairs. When they reached the top he led her into his bedroom. She gently lay down on the bed, her long golden hair spreading out across the pillow, her green eyes shimmering in the darkness. She looked like a goddess. He didn't wrap his hands around her throat like he usually did with women; instead he moved over her and said

"Are you sure about this?" She nodded and said

"Absolutley." He'd never been gentle before. His hands shoke as he started to unbutton her shirt. She went for his belt, unlatching it and pulling it out of the loops of his jeans. They were quick to pull each other's clothes off and soon they were both in their underwear. He began to kiss her neck and then moved down to her chest. He felt her shiver in pleasure underneath him as he took one of her small nipples into his mouth. He felt her wrap her legs around his waist and move her body up against his. He felt the impulse to grab her by the hair and pull her head back so he could bite into her soft neck but he resisted and instead ran his hands lovingly through her golden locks. He drew her panties down her legs and sat up to get a look at her. She was absolutely beautiful. Again the impulse to grab onto her neck overcame him. He shoke his head, trying to fight off the thoughts. She looked up at him and said

"Are you ok?"

"Ya," he said, focusing back on her. "You're just so beautiful." She smiled and blushed bright red. "This is going to hurt," he said, "But it'll get better." She nodded and he slowly ran a finger along her wet slit and started to play with her clit, soaking her completely. Listening to her soft moans was making the waistband of his boxers tighter. She sensed his urgency and pushed his boxers down slowly. He knew she would be cautious but when his erection came out from under the cloth she grabbed on it, gently running her fingers up and down. The feeling was amazing and he loved watching her stare down at him with curiosity. The innocence in her eyes turned him on even more. If only he could tie her up to the headboard of the bed and listen to her scream his name. But not yet, maybe when they got closer. She let go and he held onto her hips. He looked her in the eyes and she nodded slightly. Gently, he moved into her. The feeling sent a wave of pleasure throughout his body. She was tight and untouched. She was all his. She cried out in pain as he pushed further in. When he was fully inside of her he looked up to see tears streaming down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thumb and said

"It'll get better." He didn't want to think of her in the same way he did with the women he tortured. Usually their pain gave him a feeling of pleasure but seeing Annalise cry upset him.

* * *

Beth and Vince walked up to Annalise's house. She looked up at it and said

"I'm gonna try to go in and talk to her. If things get out of hand, I'll call you in."

"You sure you don't want me to come with you?" She turned to look at him and said

"I can handle things myself." She walked up onto the porch and knocked on the door. She heard a shuffling from somewhere inside and a moment later Annalise's mother answered the door. She was a short woman, shorter than Beth. She had a mop of messy graying brown hair that sat in a bun on top of her head. She looked to be middle-aged and had a scowl on her face.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes," she said, "I'm here because your daughter Annalise came to me last night. Since you kicked her out of the house I came back to get her things." For a moment she thought that the woman was going to comply and let her in but instead she put her hands on her hips and said

"If she's going to act like a whore and run around with that son of yours than she loses everything. Everything in this house is mine now! She's not welcome back!" Beth should've expected nothing but trouble.

"Listen," she said, "I'm coming in here whether you like it or not. Annalise deserves a home where she feels safe. I'm going to give her that." The woman put both of her hands up on the doorway so there was no way past her. She really didn't want to call for Vince but she turned around and looked at him. He smiled and walked up onto the porch next to her.

"I'm sorry Mrs….?"

"Donahue," she said bitterly.

"Mrs. Donahue. You threw your daughter out of the house and she has a right to come and get her things out of the house."

"Then bring her here!" The woman slammed the door in their faces. Nobody had ever spoken to Vince like that before and she could see him getting angry. He knocked again and said "If you don't open the door we'll take it off its hinges and come in anyway." The door cracked open again and the woman was staring at them. Beth tried to reason with her.

"You won't be bothered again. Just let us in. It'll only take a few minutes." Finally the door swung open and the woman stood aside so they could walk in.

* * *

Annalise and Beau lay on the bed, both breathing heavily and out of energy. There was a dull but satisfying ache in between her legs. She lay there, listening to the birds chirping outside and the wind moving through the leaves. Despite her face still being bruised her life was going exactly how she had wanted it too. She was about to turn over and tell Beau how much she'd always wanted him but a knock on the door downstairs got them to both bolt out of bed quickly. They quickly pulled their clothes back on and ran down the stairs. Annalise could see Vince and Beth waiting on the other side of the door. They were holding a few boxes full of her things. When Beau answered it, his hair and clothes disheveled, Beth had a knowing smile. But Vince had a different look on his face. She couldn't quite read it but it was serious and Annalise couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as his gaze shifted onto her.

**Thanks K. Lynn Perks, stateofgrace-xo and Caitiann for commenting :) Not a whole lot of Georgette & Co. in this one but like I said I'm going to shift more attention onto Beau and Beth. Chapter nine will have more of Georgette's group in it.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	8. Chapter 8

Beth and Sasha moved quietly through the woods. Beth had picked up on the three men's trail quickly but was having trouble following it due to the lack of light. But that didn't matter much. Daryl had told her he would be heading to the town to meet with Tyreese and Bob after dropping off the knitting stuff. Sasha knew where the town was located as she had gone on a few runs there with Tyreese. She walked ahead of Beth as they moved single file. Beth kept her hand on the handle of her knife, ready for anything. They stopped to take a quick rest. Sasha had demanded that they did so, telling her that she needed to be careful because of her pregnancy. Beth sat against the trunk of a tree, placing her hand on her stomach as she felt the baby shift inside of her. She leaned over and whispered

"Don't worry I'm gonna get daddy back." As she went to get up she suddenly felt someone grab onto her shoulder. She turned and came face to face with a rotted face. She held in a scream knowing that if there were any others around they'd hear her. She struggled to reach grab onto her knife which was on the opposite hip that her free hand was on. The walker snapped its jaws hungrily at her and she kept as far away as she possibly could, knowing that if she was even grazed by its teeth it would be all over. Sasha must have heard her struggle and came out from behind the bush she had been peeing behind. But before she could get there Beth had managed to grab onto her knife and plunge it through the walker's skull. The walker fell to the ground in front of her. Her heart was pounding like crazy and she could feel the baby now completely moving around.

"You ok?"

"Ya," said Beth, "Just startled me is all."

"I knew it wasn't a good idea to have you come out here," said Sasha, "If something happened to you or the baby I would feel so guilty. I don't think I'd ever be able to face Daryl." Beth knew it wasn't an insult and said

"I'll be fine. I'd be stressing out more if I was back home wondering and waiting." Sasha nodded and said

"Come on we're pretty close." Beth decided to keep her knife just in case there were any more incidents.

* * *

Daryl was still on the roof except he was asleep. Tyreese had told him he'd keep watch for a bit. Bob was also asleep. They'd had to change his bandages twice already because he'd bled through. Daryl had tightened the belt around his leg and the bleeding had slowed down a bit. Although he was asleep Daryl wasn't getting much energy from it.

_He knew he was dreaming. Daryl stood in the middle of a clearing. He was alone for the moment. He had his crossbow slung on his back and the usual string of squirrels over his shoulder. He looked around, confused as to where he was exactly. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice call out to him. It sent chills down his spine and he turned to see his father, Will Dixon, standing at the other end of the clearing. He looked the same as the last time Daryl had seen him for real. He had a smirk on his face that mirrored Merle's. _

"_Long time no see." Daryl didn't need this right now. He had enough problems going on in the real world._

"_What do you want?" His father walked closer to him, the same disgusting smirk still plastered across his face. _

"_Nuthin'," he said, "Just came to check on you."_

"_Well don't." He knew it was a dream and it wasn't real. He tried to wake himself up but couldn't._

"_A lot's gone on huh?" He heard the teasing tone in his voice. "You 'n that little blondie." Daryl fought the urge to charge at him. "You like 'em young don'tcha?" _

"_You shut the fuck up about her!" Will laughed at his son's anger and said _

"_She mean that much to you? Seems like nuthin' but a good lay to me. You ruined it, knockin' her up, now you're gonna be stuck with a whiny little brat." Daryl lunged at him and tried to punch him in the face but as soon as he got close he disappeared and reappeared further away. "Once that kid's born you'll know why I usedta beat you 'n Merle. You'll be doin' the same thing." Daryl went at him again. Before he could reach him he was shaken awake by Tyreese._

He awoke ready for a fight, sweating, with his fists balled up in anger. He saw Tyreese looking at him, clearly concerned.

"What's goin' on? Have the walkers cleared out?"

"No," said Tyreese, "It's midnight, time for you to keep watch." Daryl looked up at the moon and saw that it was indeed midnight. He nodded and got up and stretched. Bob was still asleep, his bandages holding up pretty good for now. Daryl watched Tyreese get as comfortable as possible on the rocky surface of the roof. He looked out over the town, his father's words echoing in his head.

* * *

They reached the town a little after midnight. They could see that it was clearly heavily overrun with walkers. That made Beth worry even more. Were Daryl and the other two men amongst them? She turned to Sasha and said

"How are we gonna do this?"

"I don't know," she said, "We can't just walk up, they'll see us." Beth looked around at the buildings. She spotted a metal ladder that went up the side of one of the buildings.

"There!" she pointed it out to Sasha. "We can climb up there and get a good look around."

"One of us is gonna have to distract the walkers so the other can climb up without being attacked." She was right. "I can do it. You can't be running around much." Beth nodded and said

"Ok." Sasha left the shelter of the trees and walked out into the open. When she got halfway there she started waving her arms and yelling. "Hey! Hey over here!" She got their attention and they started coming towards her, some faster than others. Sasha waited until they were closer and then she turned and ran. The majority of the herd went with her. Beth snuck along the edge of the forest until she was closer to the building, then she ran for the ladder. The few walkers left took notice and started to lumber towards her but she reached it before they got anywhere close. She quickly climbed up. When she reached the top she looked around. The town seemed pretty empty now that Sasha had led the walkers away.

"Beth?!" She looked over a few buildings and saw, to her relief, Daryl standing there.

"You're ok! What happened?"

"What the hell are you doin' here?" She could hear the anger in his voice. They didn't have time for him to be worrying about her.

"What happened?"

"We got trapped up here. The walkers on the street might be gone but there are still a ton inside the building, too much to fight off." She saw Tyreese sit up into view. He saw her and said

"Beth? Where's Sasha?"

"She's ok, she led the walkers away so I could get up here." She noticed Bob's absence.

"Where's Bob?"

"He's asleep," said Tyreese, "A walker bit him on the ankle so we had to take his foot off." Beth felt sickened and shocked.

"How is he?"

"He seems alright," said Daryl, "We had some bandages with us to wrap him but he's still bleedin'."

"I can come back down," she said, "I'll get the walkers out of the building so you can leave." She turned to go back down but she heard Daryl yell

"No you ain't! You stay put."

"How am I supposed to help you?"

"You stay there until Sasha gets back!" Just because she was pregnant didn't mean she was incapable.

"Stop being so overprotective! I'll be fine!" The argument came to an end when the doors on the roof Daryl was on started rattling violently. The walkers had heard them yelling.

Just in time, Sasha came running back up the street. There were no walkers behind her anymore. When she saw Tyreese and Daryl standing on the roof she smiled and said

"I lost them in the woods."

"There's more," said Tyreese, "In the building blocking us from getting out."

"I can take care of it." Beth watched Sasha move to the front doors and start banging on the windows. Walkers started to pour out of the front doors, sending Sasha running again. When the majority of them were gone Daryl took the metal baseball bat out of the door handles, letting the few walkers left stumble out. Daryl and Tyreese quickly killed them and then picked Bob up by his shoulders. Wanting to join them once they got out Beth made her way back down the ladder. She was more than halfway down when she felt her foot slip. She tried to keep her grip on the cold metal bars but she fell, landing on her back on the hard concrete. She felt the pain shot up her spine and she stood up, leaning against the wall as she rubbed her back. She put a hand on her stomach, praying to God that the baby was unharmed. She walked back out onto the street where she saw Daryl and Tyreese coming towards her, Bob still supported on their arms.

They managed to meet back up with Sasha a few minutes later at the edge of the woods. All the color had drained from her face when she saw Bob's missing foot. They wasted no time getting back home. Daryl didn't speak to Beth the entire way back and she didn't want to try and argue with him until they were alone. When they got back to the house they laid Bob up on the couch and Beth instantly got to work. She remembered what they had done for her father when he'd lost his leg. She unwrapped his leg and examined the open wound.

"I'm gonna need someone to heat up a pan or a piece of metal so I can cauterize this." Tyreese followed her instructions and went off into the kitchen. Sasha stood over them, clearly worried sick as she bit her nail. Daryl leaned against the wall watching her.

"Anything I can do?" Beth smiled and said

"Can you get me a wet cloth?" Sasha nodded and followed her brother into the kitchen. As worried as she was about Bob she was also nervous about herself. She placed a hand on her belly and closed her eyes, feeling for even the slightest of movements. The fall hadn't been too far but she knew that something like that could cause a miscarriage. What if the baby had died? It would only be a matter of time before it reanimated. She didn't want to voice her worries to Daryl, knowing that he'd just say 'I told you so.' Sasha returned a moment later with the wet cloth. Beth took it from her and began to clean out the wound, washing out the dried blood and dirt. In its place, fresh blood seeped out.

When Tyreese came back he had the pan ready. Beth took it from him and without hesitation, pressed it to the broken flesh. Bob woke up, screaming in pain. Beth could smell the burning flesh and it was making her sick. When she was done and brought the pan away the wound was now a blackened color and the bleeding had stopped. Bob was unconscious again but Beth was sure that he'd be alright now that the wound had been closed up. She stood up off of her knees and said

"Someone's gonna have to keep an eye on him." Without hesitation Sasha said

"I'll do it."

Beth was exhausted and it felt amazing to finally get into bed after a long night. She sat up onto her pillow when Daryl walked in. He didn't even look at her as he got undressed. She broke the silence and said

"What's your issue?" He looked at her, his dark blue eyes angry.

"You could have died out there."

"But I didn't! You would have never gotten off that roof if we hadn't come!"

"We woulda figured it out," he said, "What you did was stupid!" She felt tears stinging her eyes.

"You're acting like an asshole!" He went into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. She heard the shower start. The tears were flowing freely now and she rolled over onto her side, crying into her pillow. It was then that she felt the baby stir. She sat up, the tears still trickling down her cheeks. She sat completely still and felt it again, this time the kick was harder. The baby was going to be ok.

She was half asleep when she heard the bathroom door open. She felt Daryl get into bed behind her. She stiffened when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

"M'sorry sweetheart." She debated on whether or not to continue pretending to be asleep. "I just don't know what I'd do without you." She decided to turn over and look him in the eyes. He cupped her face in his hands. "You still mad at me?" She smiled and said

"No, I'm sorry too. I should have stayed here. Sasha could have handled things herself." He kissed her softly and said

"I shouldn' act so overprotective all the time." Beth felt her eyelids drooping lower as sleep overtook her and she said

"I love you."

"I love you too."

**Thanks K. Lynn Perks, dee22dee and Caitiann for commenting :) Beau knows little information about his father. He also knows about his sisters but not their names. He knows just the basic story of how they all died.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	9. Chapter 9

Georgette, Odilia and Ares stood at the entrance of the store, waiting for walkers to appear from behind the aisles and shelves. It was night and instead of staying out in the open they figured they'd find a building to take shelter in for the night. They were beyond Gadsden now and halfway to Birmingham. Like other major cities, they'd try and go around it. Three walkers emerged from the aisles, snarling hungrily. The group moved forward ad quickly took them out. They cleared the rest of the building and Georgette sent Ares back to let the rest of the group know that it was safe to come in.

The place looked as if it had once been a gift shop. Books on the state of Alabama lined the walls; Alabama shaped magnets still were stuck to a metal panel and sweaters that read 'Alabama, the Heart of Dixie.' She pulled one off of a hanger and stuffed it in her bag. It would come in use on cold nights. She saw more of the group come inside and take a look around.

"Where's the ATV?"

"Left it outside of town," said Carl, "Would make too much noise coming in here, every walker lurking around would come out. We hid it under a tarp so no one would pay it much attention."

* * *

The group got settled. To stay out of sight, they decided to stay in the back warehouse room and keep two people on guard by the swinging doors. Irving decided to volunteer for the first shift later that night with Daryl. While dinner was being cooked he decided to take a look around. The shop had all kinds of little knick knacks but what caught his eye was a display of necklaces. They weren't diamonds or gold but they were pretty. He picked up a long silver chain with a small heart hanging on the end. He quickly plucked it off of its hanger and pocketed it. He had no idea what kind of jewelry Georgette was into but he wanted to get her something. He turned to see Daryl watching him from an aisle over. Smirking he said

"What?" He pulled the necklace on and said "Maybe I want it for myself." That got Daryl to smile as Irving walked off back to the warehouse room.

* * *

Georgette was looking into a dirty, dusty mirror an old bathroom. The wound on her face had healed completely but it left behind a twisted scar that ran across her cheek. She knew she had gotten lucky, that she should be happy that she hadn't lost an eye but she couldn't help but be self-conscious. She heard a knock on the door and turned to see Irving standing in the doorway.

"Hey," he said, "Whatcha doin'?"

"Nothing," she said, turning away from the mirror, "Just looking at myself." He read her like an open book and said

"Stop worryin' about it, you look fine."

"Do you think it'll fade?" She turned back to the mirror and touched the risen flesh across her cheek. He shrugged and said

"It don't matter, you're still beautiful." She couldn't help but smile and a deep red blush spread across her face.

"Thanks." She then caught sight of the heart necklace still hanging around his neck. She couldn't help but laugh. "Did you pick that out for yourself?" He looked confused and she pointed at his neck. He clearly had forgotten about it and he quickly pulled it off and said

"No, I uhhh, got it for you." He held it for her and with a cocked eyebrow she teased

"Ya sure, nice excuse." She took it from him and put it on. She looked at it in the mirror, dangling just below her collarbone. She gave him a quick kiss and said

"Thanks, I love it." She kissed him again and things quickly heated up. She could feel his hands roaming her body and he slammed the door shut, putting them in complete darkness. She was struggling to get her shirt off when there was a knock on the door.

"Shit!" Irving pulled his shirt back down over his head. He opened the door and standing there was Sarah, smiling at them sweetly. Irving quickly got out of there, his face red with embarrassment. Georgette let out a nervous laugh and said

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Then she scurried off, feeling humiliated. Of all the people to catch she and Irving having a moment it had to be the kind elderly woman.

* * *

When dinner was ready the group sat down on some old chairs to eat. Daryl sat with his daughters and Pedro, eating in silence. There wasn't much to discuss. They knew tomorrow consisted of more travel and nothing new. When Daryl was done he stood up and went to get his crossbow for keeping watch. As he got up he spotted the necklace around Georgette's neck. He knew that Irving had gotten it for her, he wasn't stupid. He walked past Irving towards the doors and said

"See ya out there."

* * *

Georgette got settled in for the night. She and Irving found a quick moment to say goodnight to each other but now she was lying on her sleeping bag, Thor's warm furry body curled up on the bottom. She scratched the dog behind the ears and he appreciatively licked her hand, getting his slobber all over her. She didn't mind much, the dog seemed to love her and usually slept with her now that she and Irving had gotten so close. As he licked her hand she got a glimpse of his large teeth. She had yet to see the dog in real action and she was curious to see it. Thor seemed like a big teddy bear around the group, she had a hard time imagining him viciously attacking someone. She petted him on the head and then went to get inside her sleeping bag. She could hear the others shifting around and already could hear Carl snoring from across the room. She closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep. She could hear the low murmuring of Daryl and Irving talking outside the doors. She strained her ears to try and hear what they were saying but she couldn't make anything out. She listened for at least a half hour, picking up a few words. What caught her attention the most was when she heard her name. The curiosity was short lived however because a loud cough brought her out of focus. It was coming from nearby. She thought about turning over and finally trying to get some sleep when the coughing happened again, this time more deep. She quietly pulled herself out of her sleeping bag and stood up. It was Sarah. She was lying next to a sleeping Carlotta.

Wanting to help, Georgette moved towards her and said

"Do you need anything? Some water maybe?"

"No dear I'm fine, just a little cough." Georgette wasn't sure and didn't know what to say, standing there awkwardly. The old woman patted the ground next to her and said "Come and sit with me." Georgette slowly sat down. "You and that boy seem to be getting close." She realized she was referring to Irving. "Your dad doesn't seem to like it much." Georgette nodded, sure that she was about to get a lecture on listening to her father but instead Sarah said "He's just trying to watch out for you, it's going to take some time for him to accept that you and your sister are adults now. But that shouldn't stop you. You have to take things slow and talk with him about it." Georgette looked over at the doors, thinking that Irving and her father were already taking care of that. Sarah started coughing again and she heard Carlotta stir next to her. The tall blonde woman woke up and looked over at them. She saw Georgette there and said

"What's going on?"

"Nothing," said Georgette, "She just has a cough."

"I'll be fine dear," said Sarah. However Carlotta didn't look convinced.

"I'll go get you some cough medicine." She stood up and left Sarah and Georgette alone. Sarah turned back to her and said

"Remember what I said."

* * *

Irving and Daryl stood by the doorway. Irving ran a cloth over the blade of his machete, cleaning the dried blood off of it.

"So," said Daryl, "You 'n Georgette?" Irving didn't know what to do so he just shrugged and said

"I guess so."

"What is it you want from her?" Daryl's gaze was hostile as he glared over at him. "You're my cousin Irving, which makes you hers too."

"Is that the only problem you got with it?" Irving remembered back to when Daryl would come and visit him as a kid. Here they were years later, now as older men, discussing Daryl's daughter. He couldn't help but feel torn between being Daryl's cousin and the man trying to date his daughter. It was a weird feeling. "Is it the age?" Daryl knew he would be a hypocrite to have a problem with the age difference, after all he and Beth had had twenty-two year gap between them.

"No," he said, "What is it you want from her?"

"I like her a lot," he said, "When I saved her from that cougar 'n got to know her I liked her. She didn't give me her last name, I had no idea she was my kin. When we got on the road together it just happened." He went on to explain where he'd been since the bottom fell out. How he'd been living in a small community with Shay, her death and then finding the warehouse to live in. Finally he said "I got respect for you Daryl. You were like an older brother to me back all that time ago. If you give me a chance with her I won't fuck up." Daryl stared into him with his dark blue eyes, clearly deep in thought. "Nuthin' will change between us," said Irving, "I ain't some horny school boy up to no good." Sure he'd snuck around a bit but he didn't just want Georgette for one thing. Daryl nodded and said

"Alright." Irving wasn't sure if that was his approval.

"You're alright with it now?"

"Ya," said Daryl, "Just don' let me catch you doin' anythin' together." Irving laughed; the tension had been lifted as Daryl laughed along with him. He wanted to ask about Merle but didn't want to ruin the newly uplifted mood. He'd save it for another day.

* * *

Annalise hummed happily to herself as she got dressed that morning. The bedroom she had stayed in for the night at Beth's was now her permanent room. Her clothes were in the closet and all of her things were set up around the room. As she was tying her hair back in the mirror she heard a loud cheeping emit from the other side of the room. She saw the little beak of the baby bird sticking out from the shoebox, clearly asking for worms. Smiling, Annalise went over and took out the jar of worms she had. Carefully she fed the baby until it contentedly sunk back into its nest. It had grown and filled out in the past few days that she had kept it.

When she walked out into the kitchen Beth had left her a note, saying that she had gone down to do some laundry and would be back in a bit. Annalise quickly fixed herself some breakfast. As she ate she tried to think of some good things to do for the day. Now that she had freedom she was overwhelmed with the possibilities. Could she go see Beau? Or maybe go down to the village's school and see if they needed any help? She liked children and wanted to keep herself busy. When she was done she washed off her plate and set it back in the cabinet.

The school was in the center of town. Vince had told them if there ever was an emergency that that was where everyone should go. It was two stories and large enough for the entire town to fit in. It was surrounded by a tall chain link fence for extra protection and the only way in was the gated entrance which was typically open. She walked in the front door and found a woman working at the front desk. She'd never seen her before, as with most of the citizens. Now that she was out and about she could meet a ton of new people.

"Hi," she said, "My name's Annalise, I was wondering if there was anything I could help out with here?" The woman smiled warmly at her and said

"Of course, there's always things that needs to be done. Are you new to town?" Annalise thought for a moment, and then said

"Yes I am." The woman took out a binder and opened it up, looking at a list.

"What would you be interested in doing?"

"Anything."

"Unfortunately there's no teaching positions open but we do need someone to supervise the kids while they're out on a recess break. We usually have some of the teachers do it but they get tired and iit would be an opportunity for them to have a break." Annalise smiled and said

"That would be perfect."

* * *

Next on watch was Odilia and Athena. Irving and Daryl came and woke them around midnight. Still tired, Odilia sat against the wall next to the door, her eyes half open. Next to her, Athena was alert and on guard. Odilia hadn't talked much with her. She seemed quiet and standoffish, like she didn't want to talk to anyone. She was clearly a natural leader. She had been since her father's death and now that she wasn't in that position anymore, she was probably bothered by it. Odilia spoke up and said

"Hey."

"Hey," she said back, not taking her eyes off the door.

"How's it goin'?" The girl gave her a side glance and said

"Good." Odilia nodded and said

"When we defeat Vince are you gonna stay in our village?"

"You mean IF we defeat him." Odilia didn't want to discuss the possibility of losing.

"Will you stay?" Athena shrugged and said

"Maybe." She tried to keep the conversation going and asked

"What if your brother wants to stay?" But Athena had stopped listening to her. She was staring wide-eyed at something outside. Odilia turned to see what she was looking at. Across the street stood three men. It was too dark to see what they looked like but they were all standing in the same position, holding long knives and baseball bats while staring in at the two girls. It made the hairs on the back of Odilia's neck stand up. It was like something out of a horror movie. She whispered "What should we do?" Athena was stone still, not breaking her eye contact on the three men.

"Wait," she said, "You don't know what they want." Slowly, the men started to walk across the street, coming towards the doors. As they walked into a ray of moonlight she could see they were all wearing masks. They masks were crafted to be human faces but they had a chilling plastic smiles and that sent a shot of cold fear through both the girls.

**Thanks Caitiann, DarylDixon'sLover, K. Lynn Perks, stateofgrace-xo and melny92 for commenting! You guys makes my day :)**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	10. Chapter 10

Rick, Michonne and Carl moved quietly through the woods. They had left the lake house behind. They'd eaten their fill and rested up properly and now it was time to get back on the road. Although they had yet to see a sign of another prison member Rick wanted to keep going, confident that if they stuck with their search they'd find somebody. Carl walked beside Michonne as they moved along a road. They had yet to find a vehicle they could use.

"Let's rest here a bit," said Rick, sitting down on a snow bank. It had been a harsh winter so far and Carl hoped the others were handling it as well as they were. He watched his dad and Michonne sit close together, talking with smiles on their faces. His father had taken him aside a few days ago and asked him if he was alright with what was happening between the two. Carl had smiled and said he couldn't have been happier. It was true. He and Michonne had become close and he viewed her as a motherly figure in his life. Of course nothing would ever replace Lori but Michonne gave him that sense of parental security and love. He wandered to the other side of the road and looked around. It was quiet in the thick winter air. He looked over the snowbank on the other side of the road and saw that instead of more woods, there was a steep hill that led down into a field. It intrigued him and he stood up at the top to try and get a better look at the bottom. What he didn't see was how icy the snow bank became at the top and when he set foot on it, he immediately slipped. He clawed at the chunks of frozen snow but it was no use. He yelled as he slid down the hill at top speed. He felt himself hit the bottom. His leg had been under him upon landing and he yelled out in pain as white hot pain shot through it. He opened his eyes and saw his father and Michonne standing at the top of the hill.

"Hold on Carl!" They ran along the edge, trying to find a way down without sending themselves toppling over. But that wasn't what he was worried about. His yell had echoed throughout the trees and he could see four or five walkers making their way towards him. He tried to get up. He managed to stand but his injured leg burdened him and he could only painfully limp away. As one got closer he took out his knife. He stabbed it in the head, sending it to the ground. He looked up and saw more walkers closing in, coming out form the trees. The walkers were nearly upon him now, their greedy hands reached out towards him. He thought he was finished when he felt a pair of strong hands pull him backwards. Next thing he knew he was in Michonne's comforting arms, watching as his dad hacked away at the growing herd. Michonne let him go and took out her sword going to help him. But it was too much for them and Rich turned towards him and said

"Run!" He didn't obey, not wanting to leave his father and Michonne behind. He took out his gun and started to shot down the walkers. It was only when he ran out of bullets did his father look back again and say "Go! We'll catch up to you!" He turned and ran towards the trees, looking back to see the herd engulfing his father and Michonne.

He felt like he had been running for hours when he spotted a lone cabin sitting in the woods and finally stopped and slumped against a tree. His lungs felt like they were going to burst open and he vomited, his body overworked. He knew he hadn't been moving as long as he thought he had been. The winter air made it more difficult to run. He sat down for a minute to catch his breath and make sure he didn't throw up again. What should he do? Should he go back or wait here? Had his dad and Michonne made it out? He picked himself back up and started heading back in the direction he came.

The sun had started setting by the time he saw Michonne's figure in the distance. He ran to her and as he got closer he realized she was carrying his dad, supporting him as best she could. They were both covered in blood and Michonne's face had tears running down it, leaving two clean streaks of skin in the dirt and blood that caked her face. She gently put his father down, propping him against a tree. He didn't have to ask what had happened. He saw that his father had two large gashes on his shoulder and side. Gashes that had been made by teeth. Walker teeth. He immediately broke down. He heard Michonne sniffling next to him.

"Come on Carl," she said, "We gotta find a comfortable place for him." His father's eyes were open but he could tell that he was fading in and out of consciousness as they flickered shut. He and Michonne picked him up again. "There's a cabin some ways back," he said, "We can go there." Michonne nodded and they set out again. His mind was racing. His father couldn't leave him like this. Not now. When the cabin came in sight they rushed towards it. Carl quickly cleared the place and they lay Rick down on a bed. His eyes were open now as he looked up at them. Carl couldn't hold back anymore and he burst into tears along with Michonne. She pulled him against her and said

"It's gonna be ok." His father smiled at him and then lifted a hand to his face so he could cup his cheek.

"You're strong Carl," he said in a weak voice, "You're gonna make it no matter what. I taught you well. You're gonna outlive all of this 'n go on. One day you'll have your own family to protect." He winced in pain but continued to talk. "Me and your mother will be watchin' over you. I love you so much son." He could see tears running down the edges of his father's eyes. He pulled Carl in and kissed forehead. Carl wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tight. His father hugged him back as strongly as he could.

"I love you too dad," he said, "And I'm gonna make you proud." Finally after what felt like an eternity he pulled away and Rick's attention focused onto Michonne. She stepped forward and took his hand in hers. Carl couldn't help but notice the affection in his eyes as he looked up at her.

"I know you'll take care of him," said his father, "You're all he's got and I couldn't be happier it's you I'm leaving him with." Michonne managed a warm smile through her tears. "Despite losing the prison and the others these past couple of weeks with you have been great. You're amazing and beautiful." He paused and then said "I'm sorry our time was cut short." Then they kissed. Carl was tempted to look away but didn't. He was happy his dad had found happiness in another woman before his death. He would go peacefully, knowing he was leaving Carl with Michonne.

It was soon after that Rick slipped back into a fever-induced unconsciousness. They both held his hands until he passed and the last breath left his body. Michonne knew Carl had put down his mother and didn't want him to have to do the same with his father. She quickly took out her knife and plunged it into Rick's temple. It was in that moment that they both broke down completely. Michonne held him tight in her arms as they sunk to the floor sobbing.

* * *

When Beth came downstairs that next morning Bob was already sitting up on the couch, a smile on his face. Sasha was sitting with him.

"Morning," she said, "How do you feel?"

"Pretty good." Sasha chimed in and said

"I checked the wound earlier; it looks clean and is already starting to heal." Daryl walked down after her and said

"Thought we almost lost you."

"Thank god you cut my foot off when you did." Beth smiled and said

"We can try and find you a fake foot or something you can walk on like my daddy had for his leg."

"That would be great."

Beth moved on into the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. There was no sign of Tyreese yet and she was sure he was still asleep. Last night had been exhausting for all of them and sleeping in had given them all a chance to recuperate. Daryl trailed in after her only to let out a sound of discomfort as he stepped on the cold tile floor.

"Gonna needa get myself some thicker socks soon." Beth laughed and said

"How about I knit you some nice bunny slippers."

"Ain't no way you're gonna catch me wearin' that."

"Fine," she said, "I'll knit you some manly looking ones if that makes you feel better." Despite the joking manner they were talking in she was seriously considering it. Instead of just making them out of yarn she could line them with animal fur so they'd be warmer. "You know it is around Christmas time," she said, "We could do a gift exchange or something." Daryl scoffed at her and said

"Ya, right. Want me to go cut down a big pine tree out in the woods 'n drag it in here like some lumberjack?"

"It would be nice."

* * *

Archie had returned to the barn cellar again. His father wasn't aware that he was there but he wouldn't have cared anyway. He was too busy making plans with Gareth to pay him any attention. Soon they'd be gone searching for that group. He approached the same woman he'd tortured a few days earlier. Now both of her legs were gone as they'd sawed the other off for more food.

"Please just kill me," she said, crying as he took out a long hunting knife. "Don't make me suffer anymore."

"Sorry sweetheart, I can't do that." He grabbed her and pinned her to the wall. Without her legs she was much more manageable and lighter to hold up by her neck. She clawed at his arm with her hands but it was no use. All she was wearing was panties and a dirty button down shirt. His mind took a dirty turn, no longer just thinking about torturing her. He let her go and she slumped to the floor, coughing and gasping for air. He flipped her over and picked her up again, slamming her face first into the wall. He was no virgin but he hadn't slept with a woman in a long time and to see her exposed to him and vulnerable turned him on. He pulled her panties down and didn't waste any time thrusting into her.

He went on for about ten minutes before finishing inside of her. She had stopped screaming and seemed to be in a state of shock. It was time to finish the job. He laid her out on the floor and took her right arm, holding it firmly by the wrist and bringing it out straight. He kept a knee on her struggling body to keep her from moving around too much. He grabbed his knife and made a small incision below her shoulder, deciding that was where to make the cut. He dipped the blade back into the incision and started to cut deeper. She started screaming in pain again as he cut around the soft flesh. It was easy to get through until he reached the bone. The blade was to dull to cut through that so he reached back and grabbed his baseball bat. Then he stood up, putting his foot down on her chest. He brought the bat up and slammed it down on her arm. He kept doing it until he heard the bone crack and splinter. He stopped to see his work. It was completely detached from the rest of her body. She had passed out from the pain, making it much easier for him to finish things off. He grabbed the knife and cut through the rest of the flesh and muscle. He had put a pan on the stove to heat up when he first came down. He cauterized her wound with it, the smell of burning flesh making him hungry.

When he was done he picked up her arm and carried it back upstairs. In the back room of the barn was a tub full of clean water. It was there that they washed the limbs so they'd be ready to cook and eat. From there they'd go into the freezer to be kept fresh. He dipped the arm in and took the cloth from the side table and began to scrub it down, little bits of broken flesh coming off and floating around in the water.

**Thanks dee22dee, K. Lynn Perks and ELLEGIRL840816 for commenting :) Poor Carl :( But things will get better as you know. Not a lot of Beth and Daryl in this chapter. Do you guys think I should do a Christmas chapter? Or would it be too cheesy lol**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	11. Chapter 11

Georgette had just managed to fall asleep when she heard the doors burst open. She bolted up along with the others. Odilia and Athena stood in the doorway, looking terrified. Her father was the first on his feet.

"There are some people out there!" It was the first time she had Athena visibly shaken by something and the most she'd ever said to anyone. "They have masks on!" Georgette quickly got up and grabbed her knife. Her father shoke his head and said

"Na uh, you're stayin' here." He, Carl, Irving, Pedro and Michonne quickly left through the doors. Slightly irritated she grabbed one of the spears and stuck her head out to see what was going on. Athena had been right, standing with their masked faces pressing against the glass, were three men. Behind them there were now six others, all brandishing bats and knives. Behind her everyone stood in a terrified silence, waiting to see what would happen. She could hear Thor's deep growls and she turned and shushed him. She heard the glass shatter and looked back to see one of the men crashing his bat through the glass door. When he stopped and stepped in through the jagged doorway he'd made her father said

"What is it you want?" The others stood behind him, weapons drawn. The man didn't answer but cocked his head to the right side, continuing to stare at him. Whatever game these crazies were playing Daryl's patience was wearing thin and he raised his crossbow up. The man sighed and then let out an inhuman laugh that sent chills up her spine.

"We're just hungry." Georgette couldn't help but jump forward.

"Are you the sick fucks who slaughtered the camp by the lake?!" The man looked beyond Daryl and at her. He started laughing again. It turned maniacal and high-pitched. Daryl didn't wait any longer and sent an arrow through the man's head, ending the shrill sound. All hell broke loose. The others dove forward, more that had been hidden streaming in from the side of the building. Athena, Odilia and Ares burst out from behind her, joining in the fight. They were a strong force but they were outnumbered and she wondered if it was worth the fight. If they moved quickly they could try and make a fast retreat. All thoughts of running were swept from her mind as one of the men came charging towards her. She quickly speared him in the stomach sending him backward. As she was pulling it out of his chest she felt her ribs crack as someone hit her hard with the metal bat. She cried out in pain but held her ground, swinging the spear around to face her attacker. It was a woman this time, bigger than her and much stronger looking. Unlike the men she was no longer wearing a mask and was watching Georgette with a malicious glint in her eye. Georgette saw a flash of gray and a loud growl as Thor leapt on the woman, digging his large teeth into her neck and viciously shaking his head to tear it open. Georgette watched in disbelief as the woman fell to the ground and the mastiff started to tear off her face, mauling her to death. She quickly jumped back into action as another person swung at her.

She could see the burnt man back at the camp, slowly dying in a pile of his already deceased friends. It made her fight harder. The adrenaline pumping through her blocked out the pain. When they were done with the massacre the room was covered in blood and bodies. The smell was overwhelming and she felt sick. She tried to catch her breath and looked around the room. Like her, everyone was covered in blood and hurt in some way or another. Thor was standing in a corner, licking his blood covered face and holding up an injured paw. Georgette didn't feel guilty about the killing but she was shocked. She'd never killed so many people at once. She heard a groaning next to her and saw one of the bodies start to rise up as a walker. She quickly plunged her knife into its head. She looked up at the others again. Her father didn't look bothered at all. He was helping Pedro to his feet. Michonne started to go around an stab the corpses in the heads one by one, making sure they wouldn't come back. Ares was the first to speak

"We should leave this place."

* * *

Candice had stayed behind during the fight to keep Judith, Sarah and Carlotta company. If anyone pushed through into the warehouse she'd be ready. She had her knife drawn when a man came in through the doors. He was wearing a mask like Athena had reported. He was holding a large knife much like hers. He slowly started to creep his way towards them in a strange shuffling manner. She didn't want to let him toy with them and she ran at him, her knife raised. She wrestled him to the ground. He wasn't a big man, not much taller than her. The knife flew from his hand and he struggled against her. He punched her once in the face screaming

"You little bitch! I'm gonna fucking kill you!" She held tightly onto her knife and managed to stab him in the ribs. He yell out in anger and pain. Distracted by his new wound she was able to plunge the knife into his head, ending his screams. She got up off of him and backed away. Carlotta held her close in her arms as Sarah examined the new bruises swelling up on her cheek.

When the yelling and commotion from outside stopped the group came back through the doors. They were covered in blood. Candice couldn't help but feel terrified until she saw Carl, Georgette and her father walk back in. She let out a sigh of relief, knowing they had made it through. Judith jumped to her feet and hugged Michonne and her brother. Pedro who was unconscious and spitting up blood was brought over to Sarah and Carlotta immediately. Sarah started to tend to him, ripping up his shirt to reveal a large knife wound in his chest. Irving was the second most torn up. The whole right side of his face was so bruised that his right eye was swollen shut. He had blood gushing out of two wounds, one on his ribs and another across his neck. Someone had clearly tried to slit his throat but had done a messy job of it. Carlotta jumped into action as she started to clean his wounds. Others came over, needing medical attention. Carlotta was overwhelmed.

"I need you and Judith to help!" She handed them both some medical supplies. Candice had always wanted to be a nurse but she had no idea what she was doing. Ares sat down and lifted up his shirt to show her a knife wound on his side. It wasn't as bad as Irving's were but it needed to be cleaned and bandaged ASAP. "You can stay with me," said Carlotta, looking away from her work. "I'll tell you what to do."

She spent the next twenty minutes working on her cousin and stitching up his side. When she first threaded the wire through his skin he winced in pain. And tried to bat her hand away. Annoyed she said

"You have to let me do this Ares."

"It hurts!"

"Just hold still!" He did as she told him to and she managed to thread it through his skin again. Carlotta would look back from tending to Irving to instruct her on what to do. Judith sat with Sarah and was looking at her sister's injuries. Georgette had lifted her shirt to reveal severe bruising that spread across her stomach, ribs and back. She thought her sister was looking at her with a worried gaze. All Candice had was a bruise on her cheek and it wouldn't be unlike her sister to worry over something so small and simple but she realized that instead of staring at her she was looking at Irving. The man was laid out on one of the sleeping bags, moaning in pain. When Carlotta started to clean his wound with anti-septic he let out a string of swear words. He was an absolute agony.

She turned her focus back onto Ares and finished stitching him up. When he was done Candice spotted a limping Thor moving towards her. She laughed as the dog whined at her, holding up his injured paw.

* * *

They couldn't just up and leave the store like they wanted too. Pedro had been seriously injured and the others were exhausted. Odilia was the last to leave the front room. She was astounded at how many people they had taken down. If the group could do this they might have a chance at handling Vince and his army.

When she walked back into the warehouse room she looked around. Everyone was having their injuries tended to. She hadn't gotten that hurt, just a few bruises here and there, or so she thought. As she walked into the room she got wide-eyed stares from everyone and they went silent. She looked at Daryl and said

"What?" Michonne was the one to answer.

"There's a knife sticking out of your back." Odilia reached behind her and sure enough, she felt the hilt of the knife sticking out of her.

"What the fuck?!" She felt dizzy as she went to pull it out. She heard Carlotta yell across the room.

"No don't! Don't remove it yet!"

"Why the fuck not?" She was shaking now. The knife was buried completely inside of her and she could only imagine what kind of internal damage had been done.

"It will keep you from bleeding out."

* * *

Georgette couldn't help but look at Irving as everyone settled in. Odilia looked distraught and horrified as Carlotta and Sarah looked at her back, coming up with the best way to go about removing it and closing up the wound. Irving lay behind them, still awake on his sleeping bag. A patched up Thor was sitting with him. She couldn't hold back anymore and walked over to him and knelt down. His one good eye was open and looked over at her.

"Hey," he said, "How you doin'?"

"How are YOU doing?"

"I'll be alright." She continued to feel concerned, looking down at his bruises and bandages. He shifted a little, wincing in pain and said "Me 'n your dad talked about everthin'." She sat up straighter and said

"Our relationship?"

"Ya," he said, "He's alright with it."

"Really?" He nodded and she couldn't help a smile from spending across her face. She lay down next to him on the sleeping bag.

"What are you doin'?"

"I'm gonna sleep with you."

"You wanna let everyone else know?" She shrugged and said

"It doesn't matter to me what they think." She wished she could ease his pain and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him. In that moment, all the horror and death melted away.

* * *

Candice had started to work on Odilia with Carlotta. She was in complete shock as they looked at the knife buried into her back. Carlotta grabbed onto the handle and said

"I'm going to take it out now, hopefully we'll be able to stich it up." Candice knew that if the blade had hit any major arteries Odilia could bleed out and be dead within minutes once they removed it. With one tug the knife slid out. As expected blood instantly gushed from the wound. The blade was shorter than they had thought which brought some sense of relief. Carlotta instantly got to work and started stitching up the wound. She smiled and said "You're going to be fine; thankfully it didn't hit anything major." Seeing that Carlotta could handle things herself Candice went to walk back to her sleeping bag. As she passed by Judith she saw her sitting up, hugging her knees to her chest. She had a look of fear across her face and Candice stopped in her tracks.

"Are you ok?" Judith looked up at her, wiping her face.

"Ya." Candice didn't buy it and went to sit with her.

"You can tell me what's wrong." Judith looked at her, her blue eyes wet and red with still flowing tears.

"It's just everything that happened today." Candice smiled warmly and said

"You're brother and Michonne made it out ok, you don't have to worry anymore."

"It's not that," she said, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "Everything that happened, those people came in here and tried to attack and kill us. If they had gotten through to us or killed our family-" she stopped and burst into tears. Candice put an arm around her, noticing that she had said 'our' family.

"This is just how it is out here," said Candice, "There's bad people lurking around every corner." It was clear Judith had had an even more sheltered upbringing than Candice and Georgette had.

"Before leaving the hospital I'd never been out of the fences much. I knew that things would be tougher out here but not like this."

"There are good people left," said Candice, "We aren't the only ones, I promise you."

"Will anyone else try to kill us do you think?"

"I don't know," said Candice, "I can't promise you anything, but your brother, my dad, Michonne and the others are gonna do everything in their power to keep us safe." That got Judith to smile and Candice continued. "How about I teach you some stuff, like fighting moves and how to use some of the weapons we have?" Judith's smile widened and she said

"I would love too." Candice gave her another warm smile and said

"We can start tomorrow."

She said goodnight to Judith and then got up again. When she got to her sleeping bag something else caught her eye. Irving was lying horizontal to her. Next to him was Georgette, wrapped in his arms. She and her sister hadn't been able to talk much privately anymore since there were so many other people around. What kind of relationship were Irving and Georgette developing? She hadn't talked much with him, even after finding out they were cousins. She'd figure it out tomorrow. All she wanted now was to go to sleep.

**Thanks ELLEGIRL840816, DarylDixon'sLover, dee22dee, Caitiann, stateofgrace-xo and all the guests for commenting :) It's getting tougher and tougher waiting for TWD to get back on TV lol. I have some possible spoilers if anyone wants to message me about them. I'm not gonna post them here because some people don't like them. **

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	12. Chapter 12

Next time they went on a run Daryl decided to stay clear of the town they'd gotten trapped in and instead decided to try and find a new neighborhood they had yet to explore. It was he and Sasha who set out early that morning. It had been a week since Bob had lost his foot. It was completely healed now and he was impatient to get back on his feet and helping out. They needed to find him something to use as a fake foot. When Hershel had lost his leg Daryl had been lucky enough to find a fake leg for him on his run. Whether they could find a real one somewhere or had to fashion one out of wood it didn't matter, anything that would get him walking comfortably again.

Daryl and Sasha decided to use the car and drove back out to the field with the intersection they'd been at before discovering the house. They took a right turn down one of the roads they had yet to explore. It was a quiet ride until Sasha broke the silence.

"Are you worried about Beth?" He didn't answer, waiting for her to explain. "With what happened to Lori and Judith?" He felt slightly angry at her for asking. He hated people trying to probe into his emotions. He reminded himself that Sasha was just as worried as he probably was. He wanted to stay locked up tight and not let her in on anything but he took a deep breath and said

"Ya I am." It was like voicing his worries made them real. He often still had the similar nightmares about her dying in childbirth and their baby coming out as a walker.

"Before the turn I watched my cousin give birth. We were really close and the father had run off when he found out she was pregnant so she wanted me in the room with her. I didn't help but I saw what they were doing. When Beth's ready to have the baby I'll be there." That bit of information sent such a flood of relief through Daryl he wanted to reach over and give her a hug but he refrained, showing as little as emotion as possible. Even if Sasha could successfully act as a nurse for Beth during the birth there was still the risk of a miscarriage or a stillbirth in which case the baby would tear her open.

"Thanks," he said, "I know nuthin' about any of that stuff." Sasha laughed and said

"I wouldn't expect you to."

* * *

Beth stood out on the porch watching Tyreese adjust his bucket on the tree. She pulled her jacket around her body, trying to keep the cold out.

"Do you really think you're gonna get syrup from that?" He looked back at her

"Ya, I used to do it all the time with my family back home." She heard a crashing sound from behind her and saw Bob lying on the floor, the table he'd been supporting himself on fallen next to him. He had a guilty look on his face.

"Sorry," he said, "Just trying to see what you guys were up too." She felt like she was watching two three year olds as Tyreese continued to tap away at the tree and Bob refused to sit in one spot. Bob grabbed onto the railing of the staircase to hold himself up again.

"Daryl and Sasha went out to find you a fake foot," she said, "Just stay on the couch until they get back." She helped him back to the couch and said "Want anything to eat?"

"If nature boy out there ever gets some syrup I'd like some of that in a bowl with a spoon." She made a face of disgust and said

"A bowl of syrup?"

"Yup," he said, "Haven't had anything that sweet in awhile." She rolled her eyes and said

"Just stay where you are."

"Do you know when Sasha and Daryl are getting back?"

"He said they might be out for awhile, depending on how long it takes to find something to use for your foot."

* * *

Alex stood with Gareth at the head of the group. There were eight of them. They were armed and as it was probably going to be a long task, they were well rested.

"We're going to the place where I found the bottle," said Gareth, "From there we can follow the road." One man called out

"How do you know which direction they went in?"

"The bloody tire tracks next to the bottle suggested they were headed north. We'll have to keep our eyes opened for any signs that they pulled over or got out and started walking. I want these people caught and in our freezer as soon as possible." Standing back and watching the group was his son Archie. He knew he was pissed that he wasn't coming but this was a job for the experienced men in the group.

They left a few minutes after that. They had decided to take a car to the town and leave it behind while they continued to track on foot. The town was ten minutes away and they left in a large van to fit them all. Alex took the passenger seat next to Gareth who was driving. He looked out the window, thinking about Archie again. He had barely interacted with him before the turn and they had been forced into a tight situation when it happened. There were a few nights in the beginning where he felt like just leaving in the middle of the night while Archie was asleep. He wasn't built for this world; nothing could change his mind about that. He had been shocked that he'd been able to hurt the woman in the basement; he had thought he'd turn and run. He remembered the day that he was born. He hadn't been there for the birth but had arrived about an hour later.

* * *

_Alex walked into the birthing wing of the hospital. Janelle had called him to let him know that his son had been born. He walked past the room where they kept the babies after they had born. Another father was looking in the glass at his new baby. He had an excited look on his face as he gazed in. Alex rolled his eyes. He didn't see why becoming a parent was so exciting to men. If he had had his choice then Janelle would have gotten an abortion and none of this shit would be happening right now. He'd hooked up with her once at a bar. He hadn't even known her name. She was just a good lay. She's been gone the next morning and he thought that was the last he'd ever see of her. But sure enough, a few weeks later she called him to say she'd taken a test which had turned out to be positive. For awhile he denied that the child was his, saying that she was a slut and she'd slept around. He eventually faced the truth and sucked it up. He remembered her telling him she was in room 308. He walked past door after door and finally reached the room. The door was slightly ajar and he pushed it open. He saw Janelle lying in bed. In her arms was a small white bundle of blankets. She smiled when she saw him and said_

_"Hey, come see your son." He stepped inside and peeked past the blankets. Inside was a small baby. He was asleep at the moment and Alex hoped it would stay that way. "I named him." Alex didn't care much, he had never even thought of any baby names during the pregnancy. "Archie Vince Palmer, how does that sound?" Alex just shrugged. Janelle frowned at him and said angrily_

_"You don't care?"_

_"Where have you been for the past nine months, of course I don't care. I told you to get an abortion but you didn't listen to me. What did you expect to happen? That we'd become one big happy family?"_

_"No! But I thought maybe you'd want to have some part of your son's life besides just paying child support." Their voices were getting louder._

_"Well you were wrong."_

_"You're a worthless piece of shit!" She was screaming now. "There's something wrong with you!" The baby woke up and began to wail._

_"Whatever I'm fucking leaving, I don't need this bullshit!" He turned and left, leaving Janelle and the baby behind._

* * *

The van came to a halt, bringing Alex back to reality. He opened the door and got out and looked around. A few lurking biters were starting to come towards them but they weren't much of a concern at the moment. One of the men said

"There's snow on the ground, how are we gonna track 'em?"

"We'll find them," said Gareth, "I don't care if it takes a week." Alex slung his gun across his back and said

"Show us where you found the bottle." Gareth locked the van doors and pocketed the keys before bringing them over to the side of the road. The dark stains of old, dried bloody tire tracks could still be seen when Gareth wiped the small layer of snow away.

"Like I said, we'll head north and look out for any signs of them."

* * *

Daryl and Sasha returned from their run with more supplies but no prosthetic foot. When he walked through the door he could smell dinner cooking and his stomach grumbled loudly. Bob sat up off the couch and waved at them from the living room.

"Find it?"

"No, sorry man," said Daryl, "I'll just have to make you one or somethin'." Beth entered the room from the kitchen and smiled when she saw him. She ran over to him and hugged him.

"I was getting scared you weren't coming home."

"Of course I was comin' home," he said, "I wouldn't leave you." She looked up at him with emotional eyes and then kissed him. She took his hand and said

"Come on dinner's almost ready."

"Hold on," he said, resisting her pull. "I'm gonna go upstairs and change real quick." She smiled and said

"Alright but hurry back, Tyreese and I worked hard on this meal."

When Daryl got to their bedroom he quickly took his shirt and pants off and got out fresh clothes from the drawer. As he was pulling on his pants he looked down at the floor and saw something shimmering inside his dirty pants pocket. He instantly remembered the ring and picked it up out of the pocket. He turned it around in his hand, watching it shimmer and sparkle in the light. He knew he had to ask her, the question was when would he? He had never done anything special for a girl like this. The closest he'd come when he'd given her that necklace awhile back. Was he supposed to get on his knee? Or maybe just straight up ask her? It made his head hurt. He slipped the ring into his pocket and headed downstairs. He'd think about it over dinner.

* * *

It was night and the men had to stop walking. They'd been going for about three hours now and had yet to see a sign of other people. They set up camp off the side of the road near a small frozen over pond. They had tents with them that fit two people so Alex decided to bunk with Gareth for the night. They set up a fire and started cooking themselves some dinner. They'd brought a few slabs of meat from the freezer so they could avoid having to hunt. Hunting for animals was a painfully slow process, capturing and eating a human was easier and gave them much more meat. Keeping the humans alive while they amputated and ate pieces of them kept the potential meat fresh. Besides human meat was tastier to him. It was sweet and flavorful compared to venison.

* * *

Daryl couldn't keep his eyes off of Beth at the dinner table. He didn't know what it was that made it different than any other night but she was absolutely glowing, her bright blue eyes lit up with laughter as Tyreese told a funny story from his childhood. Her beautiful blonde hair was completely down tonight. He couldn't help but be completely infatuated by her. How did he get a girl like her? She was eighteen-years-old, gorgeous and so sweet and caring. He was a rough forty-year-old man, the complete opposite of her, yet she had chosen him. When dinner was over he grabbed her and said

"I need you now." She smiled up at him, amused by his behavior and said

"Go wait for me upstairs, I'll be right up."

He went up to their bedroom and pulled everything off but his boxers and got onto the bed. He would have gone naked but didn't want to risk Tyreese or Sasha walking in on him. Beth came in five minutes later. She smiled at him and said

"How was your day?" As impatient as he was for him to join him in bed he said

"It was good, didn' find anythin' for Bob though. I'm gonna have to make him something to use."

"He's getting antsy," she said, "Won't stay still for more than five minutes." He thought more about what he and Sasha had talked about and said

"Sasha told me she knows how to deliver the baby." He had caught her full attention and he explained what Sasha had told him about her cousin.

"That's good," said Beth, "As long as everything else goes smoothly."

"It will." Not wanting to talk about it anymore, he gestured for her to come to him and she smirked and made her way over to him. He got to work on pulling her clothes off, taking his time. He ran his hands over her smooth, round belly and then up to her breasts. He cupped them and played with her soft nipples. She let out a moan and grinded her hips against his. His cock hardened in his boxers, feeling her hot core press against him. He dropped one hand down to reach inside her pants. He found her already wet slit and started to play with her clit, rubbing small circles over it. She became completely undone in his arms and began to breathe heavily as he teased her.

"Please Daryl….."

"What's my name?" He had an overwhelming sense of dominance as he grabbed her hair and tugged it back. "Tell me who I am." She caught on and said

"Please Mr. Dixon!"

"That's right," he said, "What is it you want sweetheart? Huh?" He small cries were turning him on even more and he wanted to take his cock out and thrust into her right then and there but he needed to hear it from her first. She continued to beg and said

"Please fuck me, please." He released her hair and pushed her up onto her hands and knees. From there he pulled his boxers down and without hesitation, buried himself inside of her. He let out a loud groan of pleasure as he felt her tight, wet heat pull him in.

"You're so fuckin' perfect babygirl." He began to thrust in and out of her, loving every second of it. She was soft and felt like heaven. He could feel her getting closer and closer as her wet pussy continued to milk his cock. He picked up the pace when he felt himself getting close. She moaned out his name and he felt her clench around him as she came. He soon followed after, spilling himself inside of her. When they both collapsed back onto their pillows he said

"Fuck you're amazing." She laughed and curled up to him. Taking a deep breath he reached over onto the nightstand where he'd hidden the ring behind an old alarm clock. He picked it up and brought it out for her to see. "Wanna be Mrs. Dixon?" He had shocked her completely. Her mouth fell open and for a moment he was afraid she was going to say no. A smile broke out across her face and she leapt forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight grip.

"Of course!" He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer if that was even possible. He could hear her sniffling back happy tears. He couldn't help but let a few tears come to his eyes as his entire life flashed before him. Before the turn he'd never thought he'd settle down. He laughed at the idea of marriage and having children, it had seemed ridiculous. All it had taken for him to settle was the apocalypse. She held her hand out to him and he slipped the ring onto her finger.

**Thanks stateofgrace-xo, DarylDixon'sLover, K. Lynn Perks and ELLEGIRL840816 for commenting :) **

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	13. Chapter 13

Georgette was one of the first few people to wake up that next morning. Irving was still asleep next to her and she made sure he had a heart beat and was breathing before she stood up and stretched. She saw that her father's sleeping bag was empty but he was nowhere to be seen. Michonne stood over the fire cooking breakfast while Candice and Carlotta were sitting with a still unconscious Pedro. She walked over to the fire and Michonne looked up at her.

"Do you know where my dad is?"

"He and Carl went to burn the bodies from last night." She thought about going and joining them when her sister called her name. She turned around and saw her standing up.

"Ya?"

"Come here." She left Michonne by the fire and walked over to her sister.

"What's up?" Candice took her wrist and led her away from Carlotta and over into a corner where nobody was.

"What's going on between you and Irving?" Now was a good of time as any to tell her the truth. If her father knew than surely she should feel comfortable with telling Candice.

"We got to know each other a lot more," she said, "And we're taking things further…." As much as she hated to admit it she was nervous about telling her sister.

"I figured that's what was going on," she said, "I saw you two in bed last night." Georgette nodded, waiting to hear her opinion. "It's just kinda hard to wrap my mind around, being our cousin and all, and he's so much older."

"He's loving and caring," said Georgette, "I know it seems weird and I don't blame you for being hesitant about it." Candice smiled and said

"I'll just have to get used to it. If you like him and he likes you than I don't want to stop you from being happy, especially in this world." Georgette grinned and pulled her sister into a hug and said

"Thank you."

"Does dad know?" Georgette pulled away and laughed

"Of course he does, he talked to Irving about it last night." While they were alone Georgette smirked and said "You aren't the only one who's been keeping a close eye on other peoples movements. I see you and Carl talking." A deep red blush set in on her sister's cheeks and Georgette knew she had caught her. "So you do have a thing for him!" Playfully Georgette said "And you're telling me about age differences. He must be twice your age too!"

"Well he said he was twelve when the turn happened so….." She counted off on her fingers, focusing on how many years it had been. He's probably around thirty-five."

"And you're still seventeen;" said Georgette with a playful smirk, "So don't be getting on me about age differences."

* * *

Annalise stood out in the school yard, watching the kids run around and play. Like most of the school, the playground was surrounded by tall chain link fences reinforced with large logs of wood on both sides. Her new job wasn't too hard. She'd have to break up the occasional fight but besides that she enjoyed watching them play. Maybe someday she'd have children of her own. She was watching a group of kids play soccer when she felt a large hand land on her shoulder, causing her to jump in surprise. She turned around to find Beau standing there.

"My mom said you'd be here." He had a devilish smirk on his face, watching her hold a hand over her heart.

"You scared me to death!"

"Sorry," he said, "Thought I'd come surprise you." She smiled and said

"What are you up to today?"

"Nothing much, Vince is in his office, wanted to go on a run but he's being lazy today." Annalise laughed and said

"Once I get out of here in an hour I can come with you." She saw the hesitation flash across his eyes. "It'll be fine," she said, "I was fine when we went out and got my dress." He nodded and said

"Alright, you can come. Meet me by the parking lot."

* * *

Daryl and Carl came back in about a half hour later. They both smelt like smoke but Daryl was happy they'd gotten all the bodies burnt. He went over to Carlotta who was bent over Pedro.

"How is he?"

"He's still in and out," she said, "But the bleeding from his wounds have stopped. He's just weak but I'm sure he'll pull through, he'll get his strength back." He nodded and went to turn away but Carlotta grabbed his wrist, holding him back. "Your daughter Candice did a great job last night. If it weren't for her I probably wouldn't have gotten things done as quickly as I did. She makes a great nurse." Daryl couldn't help but think about Hershel and the skills he had with helping people heal and saving their lives. It had been decades since the old man had passed but he still thought about him. He often thought about some of the wise things that he had said or how he and Beth were probably up in heaven happy together. He nodded at Carlotta and said

"She's a great kid, takes after her mom and granddad." Carlotta smiled and said

"I'm sure she does." He looked over at Candice warming her hands over the fire. Her dirty blonde hair was up in a ponytail, her bright blue eyes glinting in the light of the flames. Everything about her was so much like Beth. He remembered how good of a baby she had been, unlike Georgette who woke them up screaming most nights.

* * *

_He walked into the house and set his crossbow up on the rack by the door. He had expected to find Beth and his daughters in the living room or kitchen but instead he found both rooms empty. His questions were quickly answered when he heard a soft voice singing from inside the girls bedroom. He absolutely loved listening to Beth's voice. Smiling, he knocked lightly pushed open the door. It was dark inside the room but he found Beth leaning over the baby's crib, still singing a soft lullaby. She stopped when she noticed him standing there._

"_Hey," she said quietly, "You just get home?"_

"_Ya," he walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist as he looked down at their sleeping daughter. "Where's Georgette?"_

"_With Angela." Angela had been a big help out them since the baby's birth a few days ago. Georgette was a high strung kid and it got tough sometimes for Beth to handle them both at once while Daryl was out. He looked down at the baby; her soft blonde head was turned up to face them. Her little eyes were closed and she was sleeping soundly as her parents admired her from above._

"_You know we needta name her," said Daryl with a laugh, "She can't be little Beth forever." They had some names in mind but nothing that seemed to fit. Georgette's name had been easy for them to come up with. They had combined Beth's mother's name with the word Georgia, paying tribute to where she had been born. He laughed and said "We could just name her Purple like Georgette wanted." Ever since Georgette had found out her mother was pregnant she wanted to name the baby purple after her favorite color. _

"_Ya sure," she said sarcastically, "Purple Dixon, that sounds great." Beth wiggled her way out his arms and said_

"_We'll just have to go searching through the book again." Beth turned on the baby monitor and then they left the room, taking the other monitor with them. Daryl shut the door after them and then sat down on the couch. He watched as Beth took out the thick hard cover baby name book from the coffee table drawer. They'd spent nights pouring through it and still couldn't something that satisfied them both. She sat down next to him and flipped it open to the page where she'd left the bookmark. It was in the 'D' section. She smiled and said_

"_Are you sure you don't like Daisy?"_

"_Hate it." She rolled her eyes and said_

"_Alright let's find something else then." They went through the book for about an hour. They had moved on from the D's and made their way to the C's when they heard a low babbling sound on the baby monitor. Beth jumped up and said_

"_Oh! She's awake, better go put her back to sleep."_

"_Bring her here," he said, "If we're gonna name her she should be in on it." She disappeared inside the bedroom and came back out a moment later holding the baby in her arms. She rubbed her eyes with her tiny fists, a small smile on her chubby face. Beth beamed down at her daughter and said_

"_She's such a happy baby." She sat back down still holding the newborn in her arms. Eager to see his daughter he quickly swapped the book over to Beth and took the baby. _

"_You look for names while I play with her." He cradled her in his arms and watched as she played with her toes and looked up at him with a smile on her face. Her eyes were always what caught his attention. They were a beautiful and light blue like Beth's. He was sure it wouldn't change. Babies eyes always started out blue but he and Beth both had blue eyes. They looked like big diamonds sparkling up at him as she continued to smile up at him. _

"_What about this name?" _

"_Hm?" He had been distracted by his daughter and looked up at Beth. "What?"_

"_How about the name Candice. It's so pretty."_

"_What's it mean?"_

"_Sparkling or glittering."_

"_Perfect," he said, "I love it." Beth grinned and said_

"_You do?"_

"_Ya, it's very fitting." He looked back down at his daughter who was wriggling around in his lap, still completely focused on discovering her toes. He brought her up and kissed her on her smooth forehead. Their beautiful little family was growing fast._

* * *

When Annalise left her job she headed straight over to the village parking lot. As expected, Beau was waiting for her by one of the ATV's.

"Ready to go?"

"Ya," she said, "Are we going back to that town you brought me to last time?"

"Nope," he said, "Something more exciting than that."

"What?"

"You'll see." He had a smirk on his face as he climbed onto the four-wheeler and started it up. She got on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He turned back to look at her and said "It's a surprise." Then he put it in drive and they drove out of the lot and towards the gates.

Once everyone had eaten the group was on the move again. They had all been wanting to leave the store since the massacre and Georgette felt relieved to be walking away from it. They took the usual formation around the ATV and trailer except for Pedro who was still recovering in the trailer with Carlotta and Sarah.

Georgette walked alongside her father and Irving. Carlotta had tried to get him to stay in the trailer and rest up a bit more but Irving had refused and decided to walk. His face was still gruesomely bruised but it didn't seem to bother him. She heard Carl call out from somewhere behind them.

"So what's our plan for Birmingham? We gonna risk goin' through?" Daryl looked back at him and said

"Nah, we'll try and go around, can't risk goin' through the city." Georgette thought way back to when she and Candice had passed through Cheyenne and discovered the large colony living there. If they had decided to pass that city by they may not have made it to Georgia. She thought about mentioning it to her father but it didn't matter much. A city like Birmingham was far larger than Cheyenne and probably near impossible to fence in completely and clear it all out. It wasn't worth the risk.

They kept on moving under the hot sun and dry air. Georgette kept herself entertained by kicking a rock along as she walked. She looked back at the others. Candice looked as hot as she did her cheeks and shoulders red from the sun. Her skin got pale during the winter and always burned terribly at the beginning of summer. After awhile she'd peel, tan and the sun wouldn't bother anymore. Georgette on the other hand never got burnt because her skin was darker.

She went back to kicking her rock when someone said

"What's that?" She looked up and saw a far away stream of smoke billowing up into the sky. They were up fairly high on a hill and the smoke looked far off. She remembered the day they'd seen the smoke from Athena and Ares' house. The smoke this time was a gray color and looked around the same size. It was Irving who spoke next, turning towards her father and squinting at him in the sun with his one good eye.

"How far away do you think it is?"

"Pretty damn far." They could see the city close by off to the right. "Might not even be in Alabama." He paused for another moment and then said "I ain't gonna worry about it. It doesn't look that big." Her father's dismissal was enough for Georgette and they kept on going, veering off to the left to get farther away from the city.

* * *

They'd been on the ATV for about an hour now moving northwest. They'd gone through a few towns but for the most part the journey had been through woods and swampland. She wanted to ask them where the hell they were headed. Was he trying to run off with her and he hadn't even told her?

Annalise looked around at where they were now. They were in a dense neighborhood, or what had been a neighborhood. Most of the buildings were piles of rubble now; the hurricanes had destroyed most of them. If it weren't for them upkeeping their village it would to be a pile of rubble. She felt the ATV slowing down and it finally came to a stop.

"We're here," said Beau, "Do you know what this place is?" Laughing she said

"A dump."

"Not just any dump," he said with a smile, "The New Orleans dump." She laughed and said

"So you brought me here to look through piles of rubble?"

"No," he said, "There's one thing left that hasn't been destroyed I want to show you." He turned on the engine again and they tore off further into the city. There were a few walkers here and there. Most of them were waterlogged and bloated beyond recognition and were blobby masses of mushy flesh, slow-moving and no threat to them at all. They turned down a road that went alongside a body of water. It was so large that she couldn't see the other side and it seemed like it could have been the ocean. She realized it was actually a lake when she saw a long bridge stretching across it. It was bizarre looking to her. She still couldn't see the other side and had no idea where the bridge went to. They kept riding towards it and eventually pulled up to the roadway that connected onto it. The bridge had large cinderblocks blocking the way. On the other side were old military vehicles guarding it.

"Lake Pontchartrain," he said, "This is the longest bridge in the world."

"Sure looks like it," said Annalise, getting off the ATV.

"Wanna go on it?"

"Is it safe?"

"Sure is," he said, "I used to come here with Vince all the time." Beau stepped forward and hopped over the cinderblocks. "He told me that when the turn happened the military tried to keep the infection from spreading to New Orleans by blockading this bridge and the others surrounding the city. Didn't work very well clearly."

"Did Vince live here when he was a kid?"

"Nah," said Beau, "Used to live in Georgia I think, just like my mom." Annalise followed him over the blocks and in between the two trucks. Inside she saw a skeleton sitting at the driver seat, still fully dressed in military gear. She shivered and kept walking. The road looked incredible. It was wide open besides a few cars here and there. The lake around them was calm and she could hear the calm waves lapping against the shore. She looked over the edge, feeling the breeze through her hair.

"This is amazing," she said, "What's on the other side?" Beau shrugged and said

"More of Louisiana I'm pretty sure." Annalise noted the crumbling pillars holding the bridge up and thought back to what Beau had said about it being safe. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind and said

"We should get a boat and go out on the lake someday." Beau smiled and said

"That would be nice." She turned and went over to him, leaning up and kissing him.

"You know you saved me."

"Saved you from what?"

"My mother, a future miserable life." He pulled her close to him and said

"You deserve the best." She leaned in and kissed him again, wanting more physical contact. She had enjoyed sex and she wanted it again. He got the message and picked her up. She squealed in excitement as he started to carry her back to land. When they reached the trucks he pulled open the door on the empty one and hoisted her up inside. He followed up after her and slammed the door shut. Annalise made sure there were no other bodies inside the truck before turning to him.

"Sex in a truck?" He shrugged and said

"Would you rather do it out in the open?" She giggled and grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him in. It was an odd angle and they quickly kicked off their clothes, eager to get to it. Beau sat down in the passenger seat and reclined himself back. "Come sit in my lap." Blushing red, she swung herself over him, supporting herself with her knees. The heat between them was indescribable. She felt so alive as he ran his finger down her sides and then in between her thighs.

"Damn," he said, "Already wet for me aren't you?" She smiled and leaned into his neck pressing small kisses down the sensitive flesh. She felt him shiver in delight. Slowly she lowered herself onto him. She still felt sore from her first time but this time was much better. As she started to slowly move up and down on him the pain turned to pleasure and she let out a moan, moving as best as she could on him. The angle they were at actually helped her. She had her knees to support her and she could hold onto the door to pick up a quicker pace. She wasn't an expert at it yet but she'd get there. Either way in the end she made him come. It didn't take long for him. He let out a loud groan as he met her thrusts with his own. She felt him emptying himself inside of her as her own orgasm washed over. It was pure bliss and when they were done she rolled off of him and into the driver's seat, trying to catch her breath. Beau laughed and said

"We should do that more often."

**Thanks crimsonrose0003, stateofgrace-xo, Heatherw231 and ELLEGIRL840816 for commenting :) For those of you wondering The Pontchartrain causeway is a real bridge lol I've never been there myself but the pictures online look amazing. Thanks everyone for commenting on Daryl's proposal :) I didn't want it to be to traditionally romantic lol I feel like Daryl is so rough around the edges and especially awkward when it comes to high stress things like that lol**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	14. Chapter 14

Beth sat down at the table for breakfast, still unable to keep her eyes off of the ring on her finger. It was beautiful and reminded her of her mother's engagement ring. It was simple and traditional. There was one diamond in the center in between two smaller ones. He'd told her he'd gotten it out of a house they'd raided. She was thankful he hadn't cut it off of a walker's finger. Sasha was the first to notice when she sat down next to her. A smile broke out on her face and she let out a squeal of excitement.

"He asked you!?"

"Ya," said Beth, "Last night."

"I knew it! Bob told me he thought he saw him take a ring on a run weeks ago. How'd he do it!?"

"Just straight up asked me," said Beth, "We were in bed."

"How unromantic of him," she said with a laugh, "Are you excited?"

"Ya," said Beth "Didn't think marriage was even a thing anymore in the apocalypse."

"It won't be the same big event it was before the turn," she said, "But it's still worth it. We can't let ourselves get out of touch with who we were." Tyreese walked in, supporting Bob on his shoulder and bringing him over to a seat at the table. Sasha blurted out

"Daryl proposed to Beth!" Tyreese grinned at her while Bob yelled

"I knew it!" Daryl walked in, still looking half asleep. Sasha attacked him with a hug and said

"Congrats!" He just mumbled thanks and went towards the garage to grab some meat to cook himself breakfast. As he went Beth could see a small smile on his face. When he came back in Tyreese patted him on the back and said

"Never thought I'd see you get married." Daryl poured himself a glass of water and then turned to look at Beth. There was a nasty smirk on his face and she knew something sarcastic was about to come out of his mouth before he'd even opened it.

"Well I knocked her up the least I can do is give her a ring." Despite cracking up along with the others Beth picked up the empty box of cereal and whipped it at him. It hit him off the top of the head and landed in the sink behind him.

* * *

Alex woke up to the smell of cooking meat. Gareth was already up and out of the tent and he could hear people moving around outside. It took him a moment to remember where they were exactly. He sat up and opened up the flap of the tent a crack. He saw a few of the men bent over the fire. Gareth turned around and saw him.

"Oh good you're awake, I was just about to come and get you." Alex nodded and said

"I'll be right out." He closed the flap again and quickly got dressed into his jeans and a heavy sweater. The cold winter air bit at his face as he walked out. Someone handed him a plate of food and he sat down to eat. The sweet taste of human meat hit his tongue and he forgot all about their cold, miserable surroundings. It was good, and he dug in, licking his fingers once he was done.

He helped take the tents down and pack them away into their bags. The sun had just risen and when they got back onto the road Alex could feel its warmth against his face. Today was a good day, he could feel it. Today they'd find those people, and when they did he was calling dibs on tasting the pregnant girl first.

* * *

The plan for that day was typical. They'd spent all day yesterday searching for Bob's leg and Daryl wanted to fashion of wood for him which would require a saw of some sort. He wasn't a sculptor or artist in the slightest but he was sure he would be able to make Bob something he could walk comfortably on. Sasha didn't want to give up the search just yet so she and Tyreese went out to look some more. Reluctantly, Daryl had left Beth behind with Bob. If something were to happen he knew Bob wouldn't be of much help but he needed to go get wood to make the foot out of. In the back of his mind he knew he needed to start having a little more faith in Beth's defensive abilities. Sure she was pregnant but that didn't mean she couldn't shot a gun or stab a walker. He made sure her handgun was fully loaded and strapped to her hip before he left. He grabbed an axe from the garage and headed out into the winter air. The snow came up to his calves and he trudged through, keeping the axe over his shoulder.

He wanted to find a tree that was the perfect size. If he cut down something that was too small or big he'd have a hard time sizing out the foot. All the trees surrounding the house were thick; he'd have to take a walk if he was going to find anything in his requirements. He walked down the road, staying inside the tire tracks from he and Sasha's trip yesterday.

As he continued to look for a good tree he thought about what else he could build. He'd definitely make the baby's crib rather than going out and getting one from a store. He wanted Beth to be proud of him and to present to her a handmade crib would do just that. He could make lots of things, maybe even a rocking horse or a toy wooden crossbow; he wanted the baby to have all of the things he never did. Fatherhood was consuming his life, so much so he sometimes felt like a different person. He tried to imagine what their child would look like. He or she would definitely have blue eyes, but what about the hair color? All he could think about was having a chubby little baby, boy or girl, with his thick brown hair and Beth's gorgeous light blue eyes.

He walked along for a bit longer before spotting the tree he was looking for. It was a good size around and would be easy to carve out. He started to hack away at it.

* * *

Beth and Bob were playing Go Fish at the table. There was nothing much for either of them to do and Beth had gone into the game cabinet and pulled out the cards.

"Does Sasha like me?" It was random question, and it broke Beth out of her thoughts about what card to play next.

"Of course she does," said Beth, "Why wouldn't she?"

"No I mean do you think there could be something between us?" Beth got what he was saying and said

"Do you like her?" Bob nodded and said

"I see you and Daryl and I wonder if that could ever be us." Beth put her cards face down on the table and said

"She likes you Bob, a lot; she was worried sick when she heard about your foot. If you asked her out right now she'd say yes." That got him to grin.

"I just hope Tyreese approves."

"I'm sure he will."

"I thought I'd never find another woman to love." Beth didn't want to force him into revealing past hardships but the question was out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"Did you have a wife before the turn?" He shoke his head and said

"She was my girlfriend. When we were with my first group she had an accident. Her face got burnt up from an explosion. It was a mistake someone made while they were cooking on the stove. It left her blind and her face was melted pretty bad. She was so miserable. The group ended up getting overrun and we were on our own again. She didn't want to go on. She couldn't defend herself because she couldn't see and the wounds were pretty painful. She begged me." He closed his eyes, as if the memory caused him physical pain. "I had to do it; I couldn't watch her go on like that and beg for me to kill her." Beth put her hand over his on the table.

"You just gotta move on," she said, "She'd want you to be happy and find someone." Bob smiled at her and said

"Sasha will be the one." To lighten the mood Beth laughed and said

"Poor Tyreese will be the only single one around here. He'll be fifth wheeling." Bob laughed and said

"He'll find someone eventually."

* * *

Daryl stuffed the pieces of wood into his bag. He only needed a chunk of it to make the foot but the rest could be used as firewood, no use in wasting an entire tree just for a small section of it. He hoisted the heavy bag onto his bag and started back towards the house. It was the afternoon now and his hunger knawed at his stomach. He should have brought a lunch like Beth had suggested. As he walked along there were open fields to his right. In the spring it'd be nice if they could find some cattle and horses to set up behind the house in the field. That way they'd have a constant stream of food, milk and eggs.

When he got back home he found Bob back on the couch and Beth knitting in the corner. He dropped his bag to the ground and said

"I got the perfect piece of wood to start carvin' along with some fire wood." Bob smiled and said

"Thanks." He turned to Beth and said

"What are you makin'?" She held up a little green hat.

"Clothes for the baby. I'm making booties next." He remembered their disagreement about the booties.

"At least make 'em camouflage for me." She laughed and said

"Don't worry I will." He quickly went into the kitchen and got himself some jerky out the cabinet. As he was eating he looked out the window. Beyond the wall he and Tyreese had made he could see a flock of birds in the field, turkeys specifically. He called out to Beth, not taking his eyes off of them.

"Hey sweetheart, when was the last time you had a nice turkey dinner?" She called back

"Before the turn." He grabbed his crossbow off the table and said

"I'm gonna change that."

Fifteen minutes later, Daryl returned with two giant turkeys slung over his back. He walked into the living room and held them up for her to see.

"How's this for dinner?" The blood from both of them was still dripping off onto the wooden floor and Beth made a face of disgust.

"Get those out of here!" He smirked and said

"I thought you'd like to see 'em?" He brought them closer to her and she held out a hand in defense.

"Take them to the garage!" Laughing to himself he turned back around and did as she told him.

* * *

Beth had just finished knitting her hat when the door opened and Tyreese and Sasha came in. Tyreese set a bag down in front of her and said

"Didn't find a foot but we picked up some more supplies."

"That's alright, Daryl got the wood he needed to make one." Tyreese nodded and said

"Where is he?"

"In the garage," she said, "Skinning a turkey for dinner." His eyes went as wide as saucers.

"Turkey! I haven't had turkey in forever!"

"Well he saw some out in the backyard and decided to get some."

Everyone was excited about the dinner and Daryl brought the raw meat out for her to cook over the fire.

"Thought you'd like some of these too." He handed her a bundle of feathers. They were pretty.

"You want me to put them in my hair?"

"Whatever you want." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and when he turned and walked back towards the garage she carefully fastened them in her hair with her ponytail.

* * *

The sun was setting and they had yet to find any evidence of the group passing through. His feet were now beyond painful and completely numb from the cold. They also had yet to take a break. Gareth insisted on not stopping. Up ahead Alex could see an opening in the trees and hoped to God that if they found a nice field Gareth would set up for the night and let them stop.

As he had expected, they came into a field. Up ahead he could see an intersection. Maybe that's where Gareth would stop. As he got closer he could see a break in the snow. He realized they were tire tracks. Recent tire tracks. Gareth saw them as well and said

"Look at this!" The men gathered around to see. One of them called out

"Do you think it could be them?"

"The tracks match the ones back in town," he said, "Unless they left their car behind and someone else found it and took it this is probably from them." The tracks went north and down the road off to the east.

"Which way do you think they went?"

"Only one way to find out," said Gareth, "We'll split up. Everyone meet back here in two hours. If you find them don't go after them yet. Get an idea of where they're staying and the best place to attack from, then come back." They split the group in half. Alex led the group to the east while Gareth took his group to the north.

Daryl set the large platter full of turkey meat down on the table. Beth stuck her fork into the piece she wanted and put it onto her plate, eager to start eating. Turkey had always been one of her favorites which was why Thanksgiving had been one of her favorite holidays. Everything seemed to be going perfectly. Soon Daryl would make Bob a new foot and he'd be able to walk again and in the spring the baby would be born. That would give them all something to work for. A new baby would give them light in such a dark world.

It was dark and Alex didn't want to turn on his flashlight in fear of someone spotting them. The tire tracks gave them an easy path to walk down and he could just make out the road in front of them. If it had been a full moon things would be a lot easier. The road got narrower as they went on and the main road branched off to the west while the tire tracks kept going down a much smaller dirt road. This would be perfect. If the road was a dead end it'd be easier to trap them in. They wouldn't be able to escape in a car if they barricaded the road.

Through the thick trees and foliage he saw a light. It was dim and as the road took a sharp turn to the left a house came into sight. The light was emanating from one of the windows while the rest of the house was dark. He turned to his men and said

"Stay here; I'm gonna go check it out." He crept forward, staying low to avoid being seen. He saw an alarm system of cans strung up on the front porch and he decided to look inside the windows rather than get a better view from the front doorway. He ducked down underneath the windowsill, hoping that he wouldn't be seen when he looked inside. Slowly, he stuck his head up and glared inside. He was looking into a living room. One candle was lit on the coffee table but there was no one inside. The room straight ahead was far more lit up and it was clearly a kitchen. He could see part of the fridge and the end of the table. There were definitely people inside, he could hear them laughing and talking. He needed to get a better look. He ducked down again and made his way around the side of the house. It was pretty damn big, but with the number of men they'd brought it wouldn't be hard to overtake it. When he got around to the back there was a large bay window that looked right into the kitchen. He dove behind the bushes, not wanting to be seen in the light flooding out across the lawn from inside the house. He noticed they'd set up a large fence around the yard that stretched all the way to the entrance road that led up to the house. They had yet to install a gate but they were clearly settled here.

He crouched behind the bushes and looked up at the house. He could see a group of people sitting at the table. Although they were far away he could count out five of them, two women and three men. That was more than the supposed three people that had attacked their hunting group. His heart sank a little, realizing that they were probably not the people they were looking for. He was about to sneak back out front and tell the others what he had seen when one of the women stood up. He had only been able to see her face from where he was at but now he could see her entire body. She was heavily pregnant and had long blond hair, adorned with some feathers. She moved across the kitchen and took something out of the fridge before sitting back down. They all looked happy and were completely unaware of his presence. He knew he had found them.

**Thanks K. Lynn Perks and eliza for commenting :) I love hearing feedback from you guys!**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	15. Chapter 15

It was cold and storming out and even though they were taking shelter in a house Georgette still felt chilled to the bone. She had left most of her heavy clothes behind, thinking that there wouldn't be another cold day but she had been wrong. The best she had was the leather vest. She had yet to wear it and she wondered if her father would recognize it after all these years. She pulled it on and went to look for her father. She found him cleaning off some arrows for his bow in the living room.

"Hey," she said, "Remember this?" She turned around so he could see the faded angel wings across the back. He seemed shocked and said

"You still have that?"

"Of course I do," she said, "You gave it to me before you went back to fight."

"How do you remember that?"

"I don't," she said, "Angela told me what happened."

"You barely fit in it when I put it on you."

"Do you want it back?"

"No," he smiled up at her. "It's yours now, you look good in it."

"Thanks dad." She didn't miss the pride glowing in his eyes as he watched her. They were interrupted when Michonne walked in. She spotted Georgette's jacket and said

"I can't believe that thing's still in one piece."

"I've been taking good care of it," said Georgette with a smile, "All those years of not knowing and wondering, this was the only thing I had. When I turned fifteen and Angela started letting me go hunting by myself I wore it for good luck."

* * *

_It was Georgette's fifteenth birthday and Angela had put together a huge dinner of her favorite foods like salmon and a bowl of peaches from the tree in the backyard. She sat in the chair at the kitchen table, eagerly waiting for everyone to sit down so she could start eating. Candice sat opposite from her, holding a little box which was her present. Angela came back into the room holding a large black case. _

"_Presents now or later?" Georgette wished she had the self control to eat dinner first but instead she said_

"_Now!"_

"_Mine first!" Candice got out of her chair and handed Georgette the small box. She ripped the wrapping paper off of it and pulled it open. It was a beautiful silver charm bracelet. Most material things didn't mean much anymore but the girls loved jewelry, nothing big but little necklaces and bracelets they could casually wear during the day. _

"_It's so pretty," she said, "Thanks Candice." Angela placed the large long case down on the table in front of Georgette and said_

"_Happy birthday sweetie." Georgette snapped open the case. Inside was an AR-15. She felt a rush of excitement. _

"_Is this for me?!"_

"_Of course it is," said Angela, "You're old enough now to go out by yourself and hunt. I've taught you how and you know how to use a gun." She jumped off the chair and tightly hugged Angela._

"_Thank you! Thank you so much!" Angela laughed and hugged her back. "When can I go out?!"_

"_Well at least sit down and have dinner."_

"_I'm gonna go get dressed first!" She ran upstairs and into her room. She tore off of her sweatpants and T-shirt and got into jeans and a camouflage shirt. As she was looking through her closet she spotted her winged jacket hanging up. It had been her father's and she didn't wear it much. It made her think too much and wonder about what could have been if they were still in that village and they hadn't been attacked. She took it off the hanger and put it on, seeing how it fit. She looked in the mirror and was happy to see that while it was a bit big, it still looked good on her. She'd wear it out to hunt; maybe it would bring her good luck. If her father was up there watching over her maybe he'd help her have a successful first independent hunt._

* * *

Candice was sitting with Pedro and trying to get him to drink down some tea that Sarah had made. He was getting better but it was a slow process.

"Come on just drink some more," she said, "Sarah said it'll help."

"How the hell is a cup of tea made of leaves gonna help me?" She urgently stuck it up to his face again and said

"Just drink it." He mumbled some complaints in Spanish under his breath and then slowly took the cup from her hands. He pressed it to his lips, taking a quick sip. To her relief he didn't spit it back out and instead said

"It's alright." She smiled and said

"Good, I'll come back over later to check on you." She was getting used to this nursing thing. She liked to take care of people and make a big difference. Of course she was still under Carlotta's instruction who was then also still under Sarah's instruction but someday she'd be as good as they were.

The next patient to check up on was Irving. She had yet to be one on one with him since her sister admitted their romance. She got another cup of tea from Sarah and headed down the hallway. She found him in his room, cleaning off his machete. He looked up at her and saw the platter.

"You come to try 'n convince me to take some meds or somethin'?" He had a smirk on his face and a teasing tone but that didn't stop Candice from feeling intimidated. Whenever people negatively joked around with her it always made her uncomfortable.

"Sarah made some tea she wants you to drink." She set the platter down by him and said "It's not that bad." To her surprise he picked up the cup and drank it down. She watched him make a face of disgust but keep chugging it.

"So you and my sister." He didn't answer her until he'd finished drinking.

"Did she tell you all about it? You two seem close." Candice nodded and said

"She did."

"And?"

"And what?"

"You think it ain't right?"

"No I think it's ok," she said, "There shouldn't be very many boundaries anymore with the way things are. You just gotta live life." She thought about it for another few seconds and about all of the things she and Georgette had been through together. It gave her a sudden sense of boldness. "But if you hurt her you better watch your ass cause I'll be coming for you." He laughed and said

"Understood." With a small smile she picked up the platter and stood up. She turned to leave and said

"Have a good sleep Irving."

"You too."

Next she did a check on Odilia's back wound. She had been lucky. The knife hadn't hit any major arteries and the stitches seemed to have done the trick. It would take awhile to completely heal but she was going to be ok. After popping in to check on Ares' wounds she turned in for the night and went into the small room that she, Georgette and Judith had set up their sleeping bags in. The house had been empty of furniture so as usual, they were sleeping on the floor. Judith wasn't in there and she took the moment to get dressed into more comfortable clothes. The rain was like bullets against the house and the wind was screaming. Ever since that tornado they'd encountered on their journey to Georgia thunderstorms scared her a bit. She couldn't get the roaring sound of it out of her head. She sat down on her sleeping bag and tried to tune the thunder out as she lit a candle and opened up one of Georgette's history books. When she had been little she had relied on her sister numerous times to keep her safe in thunderstorms.

* * *

_Candice was awoken to a loud crash of thunder hat seemed to shake the house. Her eyes were instantly assaulted by a bright flash of lightning and she was momentarily blinded. Panic began to set in and as soon as her vision came back she quickly slipped out of bed and ran down the hallway as fast as her little legs would carry her. Georgette's room was much closer than Angela's and that's where she headed. She pulled herself up into her big sister's bed and then began to shake her arm._

"_Wake up!" Georgette sat up out of bed._

"_What's wrong?!"_

"_I'm scared!" She clung to her sister tightly. "Please let me sleep with you!"_

"_Oh alright," said Georgette, "But don't steal the covers." Candice got comfortable and curled up next to her sister. She closed her eyes and had almost slipped back into sleep when another loud rumble shoke the house. It sent both girls underneath the covers in fear. Georgette held on tight to her and said_

"_It'll be ok Candice, it's just thunder. Angela said it's just the angels bowling." That got Candice to smile a little bit. The girls remained in each other's arms until they both fell asleep, exhaustion taking over. That next morning Angela had found them both still wrapped up underneath the covers together._

* * *

Georgette left her father to talk with Michonne and moved down the dark hallway, lit up every few seconds by lightning.

"What are you doin' walkin' the halls?" She turned to see Irving sitting on his sleeping bag in the room next to her.

"Just heading back to my room," she said, "What are you doing?"

"Resting." She saw another sleeping bag next to him and said

"Who are you staying with?"

"Carl." She walked in and said

"You feeling better?" His face had gone down a bit but it was still a nasty yellow and purple color. His throat and ribs still had bandages.

"I've been feelin' fine," said Irving, "You don't have to worry about me." She sat down next to him and said

"You still need to rest up." He rolled his eyes and lay back onto his pillow.

"Your sister came in here earlier."

"How was that?" He laughed and said

"She threatened me, told me if I hurt you that she was gonna come after me." Georgette smiled and said

"She won't have to worry about that. I know how much you like me." With a smirk he said

"Oh ya?" She climbed over him and straddled his hips.

"A man who stays with his cousin who's twenty years his junior must really like her."

"It's true," he said, running his hands up and down her thighs. Georgette had had sex with him once and had yet to do it again. She looked back at the open door and said

"Do you think Carl would mind if you locked him out for a little bit?"

"He'll get over it." Georgette got up and shut the door, turning the lock. She turned back to him and put on what she thought was a seductive face. She made her way back over to him and sat in his lap again. Almost in an instant their lips were on each others. He was far more experienced than her and she let him take things over. He turned her over onto her back and slid her shirt up over her head. His eyes were full of lust and he wasted no time in removing her bra next. She lay back against his pillow, her dark hair fanned out across it. He took her in and said

"Beautiful." He went back in and ran his fingers in circles around her nipples, teasing her. The sensation made her wet and she wanted more. She pushed her chest out and he lightly pinched her nipples in his fingers, getting her to let out a low moan. He moved to her belt next, unhooking it and she worked his shirt over his head. His bare chest was hard not to stare at. Years of hard independent work had sculpted him out, not too much but at just the right amount. She felt him reach her clit and begin to lightly stroke it with his finger, the white hot pleasure consuming her completely. She couldn't help but moan loudly as he penetrated her with two of his fingers. She met his movements by thrusting her hips into his hand. He had a look of satisfaction on his face as she came completely undone in his arms. She let out a whine when he removed his fingers and pulled her jeans down to her ankles and off. Her clit continued to throb, sending pulses of pleasure throughout her body. He hooked her knees over his broad shoulders and spread her open for him to see.

"Such a pretty little tight pussy." Her laughs quickly turned to moans when he leaned down covered her with his mouth. She had to remember that they were not alone. She held onto the back of his head as he ate her out, bringing her closer and closer to release. His tongue was focused on her bundle of nerves and when he started to suck on it she felt her eyes roll back in her head. A wave of pleasure crashed over her, leaving her panting and sweating on his sleeping bag. She could hear him removing his belt and pulling off his pants. She rolled over onto her stomach and got on her hands and knees, presenting herself to him as she arched her back. When he slid into her the pain was still there but not as it had been before. He started out at a slow pace and the pain faded into pleasure. She moved with him and they found a quick pace and rhythm. The sound flesh slapping on flesh filled the room and it turned her on even more. Irving gripped onto her hips and pounded into her as they moved together.

"You're fuckin' perfect." She was close again and she found herself wanting something. She didn't want to wait any longer and said

"Spank me." He didn't double check with her and slapped her across the ass, leaving her with an amazing stinging sensation. He spanked her again and it was enough to send her over the edge. As she came he pulled out and stroked himself, blowing his seed all over her ass and the back of her legs. She collapsed forward onto his sleeping bag, panting and sweating. She felt him get up. He grabbed a towel and cleaned her off before joining her on the pillow. His face was red and sweaty like her own. All she wanted to do was sleep there and not have to move again. She smiled and said

"Second times better." His eyes were heavy with emotion when he said

"You're so beautiful." She had expected him to tell her how sexy she was or make another sexual comment but being called beautiful was the best thing he could have said to her. She leaned forward and kissed him. It was long and passionate as he pulled her against him but not lustful. They broke apart and she tucked her head into his shoulder, closing her eyes. She was drifting off when there was a knock on the door. She heard Carl say

"You guys done in there yet?" Irving laughed and said

"Ya just a minute."

**Thanks DarylDixon'sLover, Caitiann, stateofgrace-xo and K. Lynn Perks for commenting :) This was a bit of a filler chapter with smut lol but the next chapter featuring Georgette and the group will be a lot more exciting I promise lol shits about to go down.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	16. Chapter 16

For once in a long time Beth went to bed feeling stuffed. There was always enough food to go around so that no one was hungry but she hadn't felt this full in a long time. The turkey had made her sleepy and after dinner she went up to bed with Daryl. It felt good to lie back on the bed. Her ankles had swollen up and they hurt even if she wasn't moving around much. Daryl stripped down to his boxers and joined her on the bed. He rested a hand on her stomach. As if the baby knew the kicking started up in her stomach. She closed her eyes as she felt Daryl making soft circles on her stomach with his fingers as the baby continued to move around.

"How are you feelin'?"

"Alright," said Beth, "Still tired and my feet hurt but otherwise I'm fine." She felt him press his lips to her belly. "The only thing that could make this place better was if the others were here." Daryl rested his chin on top of her belly and looked up at her and said

"Don't worry about it darlin', I've got it all under control. Sasha and Bob found us it's only a matter of time before the others do."

"Do you think we should put some signs up on the road?"

"Nah," he said, "Don't want to attract unwanted attention."

* * *

Carl stood over his father's grave. He felt numb on the inside. This was real and there was nothing he could do to change it. At least his mother's death had brought them Judith's life. His father's death was his own fucking fault. If he had stayed back to fight with him and Michonne then things could be different. Michonne stood next to him, tears streaming down her face. She held a bouquet of freshly picked daisies in her hands. She leaned down and placed them in front of the headstone which was a large rock they'd placed at the head of his father's burial site. He had carved the words 'Rick Grimes, an amazing father and true leader' into the stone.

He felt Michonne put an arm around him and pull him close. He hugged her, not wanting to let go. He let the tears stream out of his eyes and into her jacket. Angrily he said

"This is all my fault!" Michone pulled him away from her so she could look into his eyes, her brown gaze serious.

"It is not your fault," she said, "If you had stayed back there it would have been you bitten."

"I could've fought 'em off," he said, "The three of us could have!"

"There were too many! I'm lucky I didn't get bit." He didn't argue back with her but instead spotted a lone walker stumbling through the woods towards them. He felt a flash of rage and ran forward towards it, his knife out of its sheath. He jumped on the walker and stabbed it in the head repeatedly. He knew it was dead but he couldn't stop himself. He took out all of his anger, plunging the knife in again and again. He felt Michonne's hands on his shoulders, trying to pull him back. She got him into a sitting position on the ground next to the walker and she held him again. His body shoke with sobs and she whispered comforting words into his ear, trying to get him to calm down.

* * *

Alex and the group made their way back to the intersection to find Gareth. He wasn't there when they got back so Alex decided to start setting up camp for the night in a small grove of trees where they wouldn't be seen from the road. While the others did so, Alex waited out on the road for Gareth. When he saw him walking out of the shadows with his group he called out to them.

"Didn't find anything did you?"

"How'd you know?"

"Cause we did." He saw Gareth's face light up.

"What'd you find?!"

"It was the ones we're looking for alright," he said, "Two men and a pregnant woman. But they've been joined by two new people, another man and a woman. They're in a big house up the road, were eating dinner when I spied on them. They seem pretty happy and settled. They've got a fence around the place so they've definitely settled there."

"A fence?"

"Ya, it's pretty solid except for the entrance. They don't have a gate or anything yet. They've been there for awhile now." Gareth nodded, looking deep in thought.

"Besides the pregnant woman were any of them weak-looking or disabled at all?"

"I don't know," he said, "From what I could see they all looked pretty healthy and strong."

"It doesn't matter much," he said, "We've got a big group, bigger than them." Alex nodded and said

"I got the others setting up camp for the night, didn't think you'd want to attack just yet. I got a good look at the place and we should plan an attack rather than go right in." Gareth nodded and said

"You're right." Alex led them to the small grove and they began to help set things up. Alex and Gareth went off by themselves to discuss plans together. Without paper or a pen Alex picked up a stick and began to draw in a patch of dirt, the woods lit up by the moonlight. He drew a square for the house and then a line around for the fence.

"Instead of just walking right up the driveway we should hide out in the woods in front of the house. They've got cans strung up around the front porch to alert them of intruders so we'd have to go in the back."

"A back door?"

"Yes," he said, "There's a basement door. They've got cans across that as well but not enough. We could easily cut them down without making too much noise. There's a deck above the door which will help us stay hidden."

"Will it just be the two of us?"

"No," said Alex, "I think we should have at least eight men, including the two of us." Alex had never been in charge over Gareth before. But now because he'd been the one to see the house he was the one to make the decisions. "The others can stay behind in the woods. Once we take things over they can join us. If things go bad we can call for them and they can storm the front door. The house is pretty big but we can lay low in the basement without them knowing. Best time to attack would be tomorrow at dusk."

"Once we get in we can pick 'em off one by one. The last thing we need is for them to back us into a corner."

* * *

The next day was as uneventful as the last for Beth. Daryl was in the garage starting to cut the wood to make Bob's foot while he continued to rest on the couch; Tyreese and Sasha had gone out to capture some walkers. Now that the fence was up they were going to tie walkers to the outside of the walls to keep other walkers away. They'd had a couple close calls with walkers walking into the yard in the past but nothing serious. Above all they needed some kind of gate but that wasn't going to happen until things with Bob got sorted out. She sat out in the greenhouse knitting again. She reminded herself of her own mother who used to knit out on their porch on hot summer nights. She used to sit with her as a kid and watch. Maggie would be there too. She'd sometimes try and knit with Annette but she hadn't been very good at it. She wondered if wherever Maggie was she was as safe and happy as she was.

* * *

Unlike her sister, Maggie was asleep in bed. She was almost as far along as Beth was, only a few weeks behind. Glenn had gone out to try and hunt down dinner. He wasn't an amazing hunter but he'd set a few traps and he hoped there would be something in them. Maggie slept a lot. She didn't like waking up and facing the reality. She had Glenn by her side but her father's death replayed in her head over and over. In her mind the others were dead; there was no way around it. Her sweet little sister had probably been eaten alive, alone and screaming for help. A nightmare began to take form in her head.

_She was standing on a dark road. It was night and everything was quiet. She instantly began to search for a house or some sort of shelter. The sound of snarling and growling echoed through the woods, growing closer. It was clearly walkers, but she wasn't sure what direction it was coming from. Soon it was loud and they were right beyond the trees. They closed in on her, stumbling out onto the road from all directions. She took off running down the road as they continued to stream out endlessly behind her. The road ended and she dashed into the woods, ignoring the scratching of the brush against her skin. She came to a pond. Across it was a cabin. She eagerly made her way around the water. As she was running a lock of free hair fell into her face and she realized she was no herself. The hair was blonde. She looked down at herself in the water. She was Beth._

_When the snarling could be heard again she took off again. The door of the cabin was open and she went inside, slamming and locking the door shut after her. The cabin was windowless and small with only had one room. She moved to the back corner when she heard the scratching on the door. They were trying to get in and soon the whole cabin was surrounded. She hid her face in her hands as the banging got louder. When the finally burst inside she didn't even try to fight, there was no point. As they were upon her she suddenly left Beth's body and was watching the scene from above. She watched as her sister got torn apart piece by piece. Her screaming was unlike anything Maggie had ever heard, full of absolute agony and terror. Soon the screams dulled down and stopped as she died out, her blue eyes still open and looking up at her as the walkers tore into her. She wanted to wake up and leave this terrible place but she couldn't. Soon the walkers backed off, most of the meat on Beth's body stripped clean. She was just a bloody skeleton now. A few chunks of flesh and muscle were left on her legs. Half of her face had been eaten off and her skull, brain and mouth muscles were visible. Her one eye still continued to stare at Maggie, chilling her to the bone. She tried to scream out but the sound would not make it out for her throat as she opened her mouth. Suddenly Beth's corpse came to life. Surely she couldn't come back as a walker; half of her brain was gone. She stood up, some of her stomach organs that had been left behind spilling out onto the ground with a splat. There was sadness in her eye._

"_Why didn't you take me with you Maggie? Why did you leave me behind by the bus?" She couldn't speak as the corpse grew closer to her. "You're not even out there looking for me!" A nasty half smile grew on her face. "Daddy would be so disappointed in you, leaving me there to go find Glenn." She started to laugh, large clots of chunky blood pouring from her mouth._

She woke up in that moment, screaming and crying. She felt two hands on her shoulders and she lashed out, thinking it was Beth, her skeletal hands gripping onto her. Her fist came into contact with someone's face and she heard a yell. She opened her eyes to see Glenn standing back, his hand over a welt on his cheek. Despite her hitting him he said

"What's wrong?!" Maggie was shaking and crying.

"B-Beth, they ate her. She was so mad at me. S-She- she said daddy would be disappointed." None of it made since to Glenn but he still sat down on the bed and pulled Maggie into his lap, holding her tight. Lately her sleep had been plagued by nightmares but nothing like this. He rocked her until her breathing had calmed down and she was dozing off again. He wished he could give her some medicine to calm her down but he didn't want to risk it with the pregnancy. He didn't want to think about the damage that had already been potentially done with her high stress levels.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon and Daryl had just finished up carving the piece of wood down into a smaller, more manageable block. He put away all of the tools for the day and went inside. Beth was cooking the second turkey from the night before. She smiled and said

"If only we had an unlimited supply of turkeys, we could eat like this every night." Daryl nodded and said

"You know that group of 'em can't have gotten too far. They all stick together, maybe I could track 'em?"

"Right now?"

"Ya, why not?"

"It's getting kinda late?"

"I ain't gonna go far," he said, "Just see if I can pick up their trail." He gave her a quick kiss and pulled on his coat. "I'll be back in an hour."

* * *

Alex watched the road from the grove. He could hear a car coming and he knew the truck he'd seen earlier going out was coming back. The sun was setting and it was almost time to go but he wanted to make sure the two who'd left got back before they did. As expected, a blue truck came out of the trees and continued down the road, completely unaware they were being watched. They turned down the road towards the house and kept going. He turned to Gareth and the men waiting behind him. They'd packed camp and were ready to go. They'd found an SUV earlier that would serve as a getaway car. It would be too hard to take the hostages back on foot. The car would fit eight which would give them enough room for the five victims, himself, Gareth and another man to help them keep things in check. The others would head back on foot.

"Let's go."

They drove the car all the way up to the dirt road that led to the house. They had one of the men sit and wait, ready to go once they got back with the hostages. They all followed Alex and Gareth as they crossed over into the woods, headed towards the house. The sun was setting now and it was perfect. When they reached the house they hung back and observed things for a bit. He could see someone moving around inside and there were lights on. He heard Gareth laugh beside him and say

"They have no fucking clue." Gareth turned to the group and began to instruct them on what to do. He picked out the men that were to come along with them and told the others that once they were in and had things under control they'd make a signal through the front window. The others would move in and help them bring out the hostages, unconscious or struggling. If things went wrong he told them to storm the front and don't hold back on killing them, they'd salvage whatever meat they could if they were forced to kill them.

Staying low to the ground they moved quickly across the driveway and into the bushes. When he was sure they hadn't been seen they moved again, this time towards the back of the house. When they were under the cover of the deck they peered inside the basement door. It was dark and empty form what he could see. He took out a pair of scissors. Gareth held the other end of the alarm string while Alex cut it so it wouldn't make any noise. Once that was done they weaseled their way inside with a hair pin.

* * *

Beth was still in the kitchen preparing dinner. Tyreese and Sasha had come back about a half an hour ago. They'd managed to capture four walkers. They'd tied them up and put them in the shed out back until tomorrow when they could set them up outside the fence. The house was completely silent. Both had gone to clean up, Daryl was still out and Bob was sleeping on the couch. Humming to herself, she took out a platter and set three cups on it. She filled the glasses with water. When Tyreese and Sasha came back they'd be thirsty. When she was done she picked the platter up carefully and headed towards the living room. She walked in and dropped the platter, the glasses shattered and water spilled all over her feet. Standing in the living room were eight men. One of them had Tyreese in a head lock, a knife pressed to his throat. Another had a gun pointed on a still sleeping Bob. They were all holding guns and one turned himself towards her, aiming at her head. He saw her look to the gun strapped to her hip.

"You make one move and you and the others die." She felt cold terror grip her as the man laughed and said

"Remove it, now, and any other weapons you have." Slowly she unstrapped the gun from her side and let it fall to the floor. Tyreese was watching her, his eyes wide and angry. She remembered the pocketknife she kept in her jeans back pocket but didn't take it out. The man smiled and said

"Good girl, now tell me where the others are?"

"W-what?" She was still in shock and her voice cracked in fear. The man snapped at her.

"The others! There were two more of you! Where are they?!" Her voice was caught in her throat. She was saved from answering when she heard Sasha making her way down the stairs. The men moved in instantly and when Sasha walked in there was no hope for her being their rescuer, she didn't even know what had hit her. They slammed the butt of the gun into her temple as she came into the doorway, not even giving her time to react. She fell to the floor unconscious and one of the men caught her and hoisted her over his shoulder.

"That's only four," said the same man, "Where's the last one?" Realizing they were talking about Daryl she kept her mouth shut. He turned to the men and said "Search the house, if you can't find him we'll make her talk." They stood there for what felt like hours. When the three men that had gone to search came back empty handed the man turned back to her. "You gonna talk for me?" She continued to stand there, praying Daryl would walk in and react fast enough to save them.

There was another minute of silence as he watched her expectantly. He suddenly strode across the room towards her and violently grabbed her, holding her in a head lock like Tyreese. Instead of her neck he placed a large hunting knife to her stomach and said "You better fucking tell me or I'll cut your baby out of you, cook it up like a nice pig roast and make you eat it." He pressed the knife into her flesh and she saw a stream of blood well up under the blade as he cut into her skin. He was holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. She let out as sob and said

"He left, he's gone."

"Gone where?"

"T-to hunt." He released her, letting her fall to the floor. She could feel the oxygen going back to her brain as she gulped in air. She heard the man say

"You two, go search for him and bring him back here." The two men left through the front door. The man saw her still crouched on the floor. Smiling nastily he leaned down and grabbed her shin, forcing her to look up at him. "It ain't so bad sweetheart; you get to come with us." Disgusted and in full mama-bear mode she grabbed the knife from her back pocket and flipped it open. She brought it up and stabbed him in the cheek. He howled in pain, falling backwards. She tried to run but the other men were on her before she could. She saw Tyreese pull a gun from his back pocket and shoot the man holding him. He charged, wrestling the man with his gun on Bob to the ground. Bob woke up, looking shocked. She watched as Tyreese punched the man repeatedly in the face. As he was doing so another man pulled out a pistol.

"Look out!" But he wasn't quick enough a bullet hit Tyreese full in the head. He fell to the ground, instantly dead.

Beth couldn't help but let out a scream. She kicked and struggled against her captors. She got another glimpse of Bob who had, like Sasha, been knocked unconscious. The man who she'd stabbed grabbed her painfully by the hair and pulled her back so she could look into his enraged eyes. There was a large wound in his cheek that was now gushing blood. Growling angrily he said "You fucking dumb bitch, you're gonna pay for that." He brought his leg up and kneed her in the stomach. She fell to the ground again, hoping to God that Daryl would get back.

* * *

Daryl heard the gunshot ring out in the quiet forest and instantly knew something was wrong. Nobody would fire a gun unless they absolutely had too. He was confident Tyreese, Sasha, Bob and Beth could handle a group of walkers but he turned and made his way back towards the house. A moment later there was another shot and he started running. What the hell was going on? He moved as quick a she could through the forest, thinking of all the terrible possibilities. As he was running he was hit hard by something. Pain exploded in his shoulder and he yelled out realizing that he'd been hit with an arrow.

"The fuck?" Before he could register what was going on another whizzed by him, almost grazing his face. Trying to ignore the bolt still lodged in his shoulder he stood up. Two men were standing several feet away. One held a bow in his hands while the other wielded a knife. He raised his own crossbow and said

"You're fuckin' with the wrong guy!" The two looked at each other and smiled. The one holding the bow said

"If you come quietly you can see your friends again."

"What?" The man grinned and said

"Lower your weapon and we'll take you back to your friends at the house."

"What the fuck are you talkin' about?!" He walked closer, still holding his bow.

"You're four friends; they're back at the house alive." He realized they were referring to Beth and the others. His blood was boiling.

"My wife?" the two men looked at each other in silent communication, disturbing smiles still playing on their lips.

"The pregnant blonde one or the black one?" Daryl didn't want to hear anymore. He pulled the trigger and shot the bowman in the head. The other man charged at him, his knife in the air. He didn't hesitate to shot him as well, his mind only on getting back to Beth. With the arrow still in his back he ran again, ignoring the pain. When he saw the lights of the house through the trees he felt a twinge of relief. He started yelling Beth's name before he'd even reached the deck steps.

"Beth!" He tore up the stairs and threw the door open. The house seemed quiet and the cutting board Beth had been using was still out, a piece of turkey meat still sitting on it waiting to be cut up. His crossbow up he moved through the house. He walked in the living room and almost fell to his knees when he saw Tyreese lying on the ground dead. He was too fucking late. There had clearly been a struggle in the living room. Over turned furniture and broken glass made it evident. He shut Tyreese's open eyes and quickly moved through the rest of the house, making sure no one was hiding. They'd already left, Beth was gone. He felt absolutely defeated and shattered. Tears poured from his eyes and he shrunk to the floor. Everything was gone; he was the last one left. The love of his life and unborn child had been taken. The rug had been ripped out from underneath his feet. Any stable life they had tried to build here was gone now.

He sat on the floor, sobbing for the next ten minutes before the sadness quickly turned to complete anger. He could hear Merle's voice in his head. _Don't sit around 'n cry like a baby lil' brother,_ _go get back what's yours 'n make 'em pay. _His body shoke as he thought about the men beating up on Beth and kidnapping her. The others had clearly been taken too, but for what? He was going to fucking find her and the others. He stood back up and began to quickly pack a bag. He grabbed all of the turkey meat to eat and whatever else he could fit. As he was about to leave their bedroom for the last time he spotted a small basket by the nightstand. Inside was the hat she'd knitted and the gloves he'd made both her and the baby. At the very bottom was Rick's hat as well. He grabbed all of it and stuffed them in his bag. He'd kill them all, whoever they were. He wished he could give Tyreese a proper burial but there was no time. Instead he grabbed a jug of gasoline and spread it around the living room. He quickly lit a match and lit the whole place up. There would be no coming back here once he got Beth back, it would be too painful. They'd have to move on, find someplace new. He walked out into the driveway to see that the blue truck was gone, they'd taken that too, meaning he'd have to go on foot. He looked back at the house one last time, then he turned and walked down the driveway, leaving it behind to burn to the ground.

**Thanks Caitiann and stateofgrace-xo for commenting :) Love hearing from you guys! This was a long, intense chapter and the stories taken another big shift again. I decided to add in pieces about Maggie and Carl's whereabouts again to make things interesting. But above all let me know what you thought about the new plot direction :)**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	17. Chapter 17

It was hot again and terribly dry. Georgette's throat felt like sand paper, no matter how much she drank it would dry out in a matter of minutes. What bothered even more was the sound of coughing coming from the back of the trailer. It was Sarah and she'd been getting worse. She saw her father looking back at the trailer with concern.

"Maybe she shoulda stayed behind with Talmidge."

"She wanted to come along didn't she?"

"Ya," he said, "But it's a long trip, at her age it's a lot." Georgette fell out of step and hung back. When the trailer reached her she walked behind it and looked inside. Sarah was asleep in a makeshift bed. Carlotta was beside her.

"How's she doing?"

"She's alright," said Carlotta, "Just a little cold." However, the look of concern in Carlotta's eyes told differently. Georgette was quickly joined by Candice who had come to see what they were discussing. She saw Sarah sleeping and said

"Is she alright?" Carlotta nodded and said

"Just a cough." Like Georgette, Candice saw through Carlotta's façade.

"Think she'll make it to Louisiana?"

"Who knows," said Carlotta, "Will any of us?"

* * *

Beth was up early to make breakfast. Annalise had to head to work soon and Beth enjoyed cooking her a nice meal. It was almost like having a daughter again. It reminded her of the mornings she got up to make food for Georgette and Candice. A few moments later Annalise appeared in the doorway, dressed and ready for the day. Since she had started living with Beth she was much more outgoing and happy. Her mother, who now mostly stayed in the house, didn't bother her and Beth enjoyed watching her explore her newfound freedom.

"Good morning," she said, "Hungry?"

"Very," said Annalise, sitting down at the table. "What are you up to today?"

"Gonna go fishing." Since her accident Beth hadn't been on the bayou and she was determined to get back. She knew Donna was busy today and she didn't mind heading out herself.

"How's your leg feel?"

"All better." Besides the scarring and a slight limp her leg had gone back to normal. She set a plate of eggs and meat down on the table in front of her.

"You gonna eat too?" Beth smiled and said

"Already did while I was cooking." She left Annalise to eat while she headed to her room to get dressed. As usual her fishing outfit consisted of long jeans pants, boots and a short sleeved top. She grabbed all of her gear and went back out into the kitchen.

"I'll see you later; have a good day at the school." Annalise smiled and said

"Good luck fishing!"

Beth headed down to the river and when she walked inside the gates everyone looked up, surprised to see her. Erin, one of the women who was usually down by the docks smiled at her and said

"Glad to see you back Beth, how are you?"

"I'm great," she said, "Ready to get back out on the water." She carried her things into one of the boats and then unhooked it from the dock. She knew a small, peaceful cove she could go to to get back into the swing of things.

* * *

The group was still moving in the hot sun by the afternoon. They'd traveled through Tuscaloosa awhile back and were determined to reach Mississippi by nightfall. Georgette's feet were numb and she kept her head down, staring at the hot cement as they continued on. When she ran into her father's back she looked up. He had stopped along with the others and was looking up at something. A large store sign towered above them. The original design had long since faded and in its place were big red, sprayed on letters that read 'Take next exit, right, left, apartment building on right.' It was clear that they were directions, but to where?

"Do you think we should go?" Michonne walked up to join her father and said

"It could be a trap." Georgette stepped forward and said

"Or they could help us out." She remembered the people back at Cheyenne who had given them so much. "They could be a big community, you never know." It was Carl who spoke next.

"We should check it out."

"It could be worth it," said Odilia, "There could be other survivors from my village that fled."

"We ain't all gonna go," said Daryl, "Can't risk it, a few people can go 'n check it out." Odilia immediately raised her hand, followed by Ares who got a nasty look from his sister when he did so. They heard a voice from the trailer and looked over to see Carlotta poking her head out from the tarp.

"What'd we stop for?"

"There could be some people up the road," said Daryl, "We're gonna go check it out." She saw Carlotta nervously bite her lip and said

"If you do find people ask them for some medicine, Sarah's been coughing more and more since this morning." Georgette didn't like to hear the bad news and everyone else grew silent as the realization of Sarah's sickness set in.

"I'll go," said Georgette, "I'll make sure we get some medicine for her." She felt her father glare at her sternly. She knew he didn't want her to go so she turned to him and said "I'll be fine dad, don't worry I can take care of myself." He didn't look so convinced and she hugged him. "I'll be careful, I promise."

* * *

Beth had been rowing for a half an hour before she reached the cove. It was secluded and someone who didn't know it was there wouldn't be able to see it from the lake. She rowed to the center of it and began to take out her gear. She cast a line and leaned back comfortably against the side of the boat, enjoying the sunny day. A few minutes later there was a tug on her line and she reeled it in, finding an average sized catfish. She threw it in her bucket to bring back and cast her line again. As she was doing so she spotted something unusual, a pair of glasses sitting on a tree trunk that was protruding out of the water. She pulled in her line and then rowed over. No one ever came out here and wandering through the swamp by yourself without a boat meant certain death. She pulled up to the tree and picked up the glasses. They didn't look old and were definitely recently dropped. Up above she heard a loud cawing. Three crows were descending from the air, their shiny black feathers glinting in the sun. They landed somewhere up ahead and she could just make them out, leaned over and pecking at something. She would have turned away and not paid any attention if out of the corner of her she spotted a human hand lying out into the water where the birds were. It was too narrow to get the boat through so she tied it to the tree and stepped out, holding tightly to the tree trunk to keep herself stable as she moved across the wet, sunken ground. She made sure to step on the gnarled roots of the trees, not wanting to accidentally step into the deep mud and get her foot stuck. The nasty smell of death and decay reached her nostrils and she instantly felt sick to her stomach. Lying in the mud was a corpse, one she recognized. It was a man she'd seen around the village before. She didn't know him but she knew that a few days ago word had been going around that another person had gone missing. The man couldn't have been dead for more than a day. His body had been horribly mutilated. Both of his legs had been cleanly cut off, something neither a walker nor an alligator would be able to do. He had horrible burns up and down his chest and his throat was slit. His eyes had been picked out by the birds but everything else seemed to have been done pre-death. She'd seen plenty of dead people before but this rattled her to the core. This had been a murder. It was clear now that someone was kidnapping people and torturing them. Whether it was someone on the inside or outside was a mystery. She turned and ran, desperate to get back to the village and tell Vince what she'd found. He may have been a creep but he'd want to know what she'd found and do something about it.

She felt her foot get caught on a root and she fell forward, catching herself with her hands. It didn't do much too help as she landed in the mud, her hands instantly sinking down. She touched something smooth and rounded. She grabbed onto it and pulled her hand back out. With a disgusting squelching sound she pulled out a human skull. It was clean of flesh and looked to have been there for awhile as it was filled with mud and a yellow brown color. She threw it back to the ground and leapt back into her boat. Clearly this was what had been happening to the missing villagers and it'd been going on for a long while. She quickly began to row back out of the cove, desperate to report to Vince what she had found.

* * *

Georgette, Ares and Odilia walked up the off ramp. She kept the directions in her head and they took a right. She could see an overgrown gas station up ahead and a half-standing strip mall on the other side. They kept their eyes open for any walkers and continued down the street. The concrete had long since cracked and long grass grew out into the street. Old cars lined the roadway, dusty skeletons sitting inside. The first road they took a left down was just beyond the gas station. She could already see what she thought was the apartment building looming in the distance. It was quiet and an old street sign read 'dead end.' They weaved their way through cars and shot down lurking walkers. As they got closer they saw large concrete blocks barricading the road. A large sign read 'You have reached a safe community, our wall guards will greet you and let you enter after evaluation.' Beyond it the brick apartment building stood. Georgette looked around at the quiet street and saw no guards of any kind. She heard Ares say

"Should we just wait then?"

"Let's try to get in." It was eerily quiet, too quiet for there to be people around. The wall extended into a backyard and they followed it, looking for an entrance. They finally found a large iron gate that was locked shut with chains. Odilia cracked a nervous joke.

"Maybe no one's home."

"Maybe," she said, scanning the top of the concrete walls. "Someone hoist me up there, I'll look over the wall." Odilia and Ares grabbed onto her legs and picked her up. She reached up and grabbed onto the top and pulled herself up. She lost the support of Odilia and Ares and clung onto the side. As she looked over she was shocked to see that there were no humans inside but a ton of walkers. The place had been clearly overrun a long time ago. A large break in the wall on the other side showed where the walkers had piled up and broken through. The parking lot looked to have been their main outdoor area with picnic tables and grills while the apartment building had obviously been there home. It saddened her to see what once was a community of people trying to rebuild their lives gone. She slowly lowered herself down and jumped back into the yard. Odilia and Ares looked at her expectantly.

"No one lives there anymore."

When they got back to the group on the highway she said

"That sign's unfortunately outdated." Knowing what she meant her father took out his knife and carved large X's into the sprayed on words.

* * *

When Beth reached the dock she dashed out of the boat, forgetting all of her supplies. She ignored the weird looks she got as she ran by and headed towards the town hall. All she could see was the man's mutilated face and the skull she'd pulled from the mud. She ran through the door and up the stairs. She burst into his office to find him in his usual position, feet up and reclined back. Nothing about his expression or tone of voice seemed concerned when he saw her run in in a panic.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just out fishing in a small cove and I found a body, one of our people."

"Oh?" She couldn't help but feel angry at his nonchalant attitude.

"And I found a skull in the mud. All of those missing people were killed and dumped in the swamp!"

"How do you know they were killed and didn't just wander off into their own demise?"

"Because the body was cut up!" He waved his hand at her and said

"Could have been a walker or gator."

"No! There were burns too! The cuts were done by a knife or blade! Someone's kidnapping and killing people from the village!"

"I'll check it out in a bit," he said, "Unfortunately I'm pretty busy right now." She was so angry she could almost feel the steam coming out of her ears.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! I find out what's happening to our people and you don't even seem to care!" A look of amusement crossed his face and he said

"Relax I'll send some guys out there if you want. I'll let you know later what the results are." She knew that was as far as she was going to get with him.

"Just do your job and be the leader this place needs you to be."

* * *

As they had planned, they reached Mississippi by dusk. Once they saw the sign that was good enough for her father and they set up camp in another trailer park, giving them separate places to sleep. Unlike the last one they'd slept in, they weren't in an open field but in a forest under the cover of trees. As much as Georgette wanted to share a bed with Irving she stuck with her sister and the two of them bunked together.

As dinner was being cooked they sat around the fire in silence. Everyone was present except for Sarah who was still sleeping in one of the trailers. When Candice and Judith finished the meat Carlotta took a plate to her and didn't return. Ares broke the silence and said

"When do you think we'll get there?"

"Couple more days," said Michonne, "If we keep on track."

"Do we have a plan?" Everyone's eyes went to Daryl for the answer. Georgette knew he and Odilia had gone over the village's set up but hadn't gone further than that.

"I'm workin' on it," he said, "When we get there we should probably hang low for awhile, get our strength back before we go in."

"We just haveta be careful," said Odilia, "Vince and his men often go out on runs around the area 'n if he finds us there'll be trouble."

They ate their dinner and Georgette tuned out the talking, not wanting to think that far ahead. When everyone finished and turned in for the night it was just she, Daryl, Irving and Thor lying at his feet by the dying fire. Sensing they wanted alone time her father got up, said goodnight and kissed her on the cheek before leaving. Irving looked up at her and said

"What's on your mind sweetheart?" His eyes questioned her, glinting in the light of the flames.

"Just don't want to think about what's gonna happen when we get to Louisiana. Didn't think we'd be making such good time, thought it would take longer."

"What are you worried 'bout?"

"Losing you or my sister or dad." He pulled her close and said

"I can't tell you the future but you don' need to worry about me, ain't nuthin' gonna happen. As long as you're gonna be here I'll be here." She leaned in and kissed him, comforted by his words. When they broke apart he smiled and said

"Your old man is tough as nails 'n I'm sure your sister is more of a spitfire then you think." Georgette laughed and rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes and letting herself relax. Before she knew it she had dozed off and Irving picked her up. He carried her back to her trailer, kissed her goodnight and headed back to his own place. There was the heavy scent of smoke in the air but he thought nothing of it, sure that it was just the smoke of their little campfire.

* * *

Beth was eager to hear what Vince's men had found. Dinner with Annalise was as it usually was and she didn't want to tell her yet. No reason to freak the girl out until Vince had a plan in action. When she was finished she stood up from the table and said

"I'm going out for a little bit, I'll be back later." Thinking of the unknown killer out there she added "Keep the doors and windows locked. Don't let anyone in unless it's me or Beau."

"How come?"

"Just gotta stay safe around here." She left before Annalise could ask anymore questions. It was dark out and she couldn't help but fear for her own safety as she walked down the street. Curfew was in a half an hour. She wondered if the killer was snatching people sneaking around out past curfew or stealing them from their windows at night. Surely if someone had been taken in broad daylight there'd be a report on it by now.

Luckily, she reached the town hall without incident. She found Vince there sitting with one of his men.

"Oh hey Beth," he said, "What is it you need?" He was playing dumb with her and she crossed her arms.

"You know what I came back for, what'd your men find out there?"

"Nothing," he said, "They went to the exact cove you described to me and found nothing. Are you sure you weren't hallucinating or dreaming?"

"I'm positive," she said, "You must have had the wrong cove."

"I don't think so," said Vince, "It'd be best to just go home and forget about it, I'm sure it'll all be fine." She couldn't stand there any longer and be blown off. She strode forward and slammed her hand on his desk.

"What kind of leader are you?! I'm telling you I saw the body of one off our missing villagers and you act like you don't even give a shit! If you keep ignoring it people are gonna panic even more and flee! Do you want that to happen?!" Vince looked at the man. They smiled at each other and laughed. She clearly wasn't being taken seriously. "If you don't do something I will!" She went to leave but she heard Vince say her name.

"If you tell everyone about this I'll force you out of here." She felt shocked and turned slowly to face him.

"You wouldn't."

"Don't think my attraction to you will keep me from kicking out a trouble-maker." Beth was fuming but she was stuck and she knew it. She didn't want to leave; it would mean leaving behind Annalise, Beau and her safety. She kept her mouth shut and she said

"Have it your way. I won't say anything but when this place comes crashing down because of your negligence don't turn to me for help."

* * *

Georgette woke up coughing. She felt like she was being suffocated. She sat up and couldn't see anything but a thick could of black smoke. She heard Candice call out to her.

"Georgette are you there?!"

"Hold on!" Georgette threw herself of the bed, still choking on the smoke. She reached out and grabbed onto Candice's arm. "Let's get out of here!" She moved as quickly as possible, feeling her way along the wall to the door. She heard other screams and when they walked outside it was like a scene from hell. Trees were burning and while the smoke wasn't quite as dense as it had been in the trailer it was still too smoky to see much. It was a forest fire and they were stuck in the middle of it. She saw someone come out of the smoke towards them and recognized Athena. For once in her life she looked panicked.

"I can't find my brother!"

"Come on!" Georgette held out a hand to her, "We'll find him, but first we gotta get outta the smoke." To her surprise Athena took her hand and the three girls ran. She could hear her heart beating in her ears and the blood pumping through her veins. The flames and smoke disorientated her and she felt herself trip over something. All of the breath was knocked out of her as she hit the ground hard. The flames were hot and spreading fast. She felt someone pick her up and help her back to her feet. It was Athena.

"Where'd Candice go?"

"I don't know, when you tripped she stumbled off." Georgette called her name and got no response.

"Come on we've got to go!" Athena tugged her along as Georgette kept her eyes open for Candice. Her strength returned to her and she was able to keep up with Athena as they dashed through the burning forest. Everyone else had to have woken up as well. She clung onto that belief as they kept going. They ran into a river, the water rushed around their feet as they continued on. The river widened and deepened but they were able to stay on their feet. Georgette saw a break in the land up ahead and realized they were running straight towards a waterfall. The current was nowhere near fast enough to pull them over but it was a dead end. They stopped and looked over the edge. It wasn't an incredibly long fall but the bottom could be filled with sharp rocks and they wouldn't know it until they hit them. A large cracking sound split the air and they looked back. A burning oak tree was lurching over and falling towards them. They quickly glanced at each other and grabbing each other's hands they leapt over the edge. The sensation of falling flooded Georgette's sense before she hit the water. It was like being body slammed but she still held tightly to Athena's hand as they let the stronger current carry them downriver.

**Thanks DarylDixon'sLover, K. Lynn Perks, stateofgrace-xo and Caitiann for commenting :) Like Beth and Daryl's past story, the present story with Georgette and Candice has also taken a plot shift.**

**I've gotten some more comments about the length of this story and how some people think it's dragging on. Like I've said in the past when I started this I didn't intend to make it short. I wanted it to be a long journey where the characters become fully developed. A journey across the U.S. in the ZA isn't going to be easy and quick, there's going to be problems along the way. So everything in good time lol :) You will see the end eventually. Another reason I'm keeping it long is because we all need something to do with ourselves during the hiatus lol it's rough not having the show to watch every Sunday and reading & writing fanfics helps.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	18. Chapter 18

The first thing that she noticed when she woke up was that her head was throbbing with pain and clumps of dried blood filled her mouth. The floor she was lying on was cold and concrete. She started to feel her limbs again and she moved her fingers, curling them against the floor. The memories of what had happened came back to her. She remembered being dragged out the door and being hit numerous times with the end of a gun before she was rendered unconscious. She was lying on her side and she opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry and she could make out that she was in a dark room. The only light filtered in through small windows nears the top of the ceiling. Her throat was terribly dry and as much blood as she spit out it still coated the inside of her mouth.

She slowly sat up, getting her balance back as she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to soothe the throbbing in her head. When she opened her eyes again a few minutes' later things were clearer. The room was dirty and as she'd guessed, completely concrete. It was mostly empty except for a few knives and machetes hung on the wall. The small dirty windows by the ceiling let in a bit of light. She remembered this place from a nightmare she'd once had. Like she had been in her dream, she was now chained to the wall behind her, shackles over her wrists and ankles. She looked down the far left side of the room and saw three other people also chained up. The first was a blonde woman she didn't know. To her horror she realized the woman was missing her legs and one of her arms. She awake but wasn't looking at Beth, just staring at the wall in some sort of trance as she lay on the floor. The other two were Bob and Sasha, both still unconscious on the floor. Daryl was nowhere to be seen. She didn't know quite how to feel. She was happy he wasn't there with them but what had happened to him? Was he killed by the men that had gone out to search for him? What did they want she and the others for? Just to torture them?

Her head throbbed again and she let out a whimper of pain as she put her face into her hands and rubbed her temples, trying to make the pain go away. Maybe it was all a bad dream like it had been before. Maybe she was asleep in she and Daryl's bed back at the house, safe and sound.

* * *

Archie had yet to see his father since he'd gotten back with the hostages. He'd seen them being taken down to the barn cellar yesterday and hadn't seen his father since. He desperately wanted to go back down to the cellar and let off some more steam but he didn't know if he was allowed too. He didn't want to get caught and make his father hate him even more. He was walking past the gate when he heard it start to swing open. The large white van that carried the remaining men from the missions pulled in. He knew that only Gareth, his father and two other man had arrived home with the victims. The others from the group were just getting back now. They poured out of the vehicle to be greeted by their family and friends. He walked closer, trying to hear what they were saying. One of them was talking to his wife.

"It was pretty successful," he said, "We only had to kill one of 'em cause he shot Terry and started beating up on one of the guys. We managed to bring back three of them. Jeff and Chris didn't make it either. They went out to search for one of the guys who was out and ended up getting killed."

"I thought there was only three of them you were after?"

"Ya," he said, "But when we got there two other people had joined them." Archie stopped listening and moved on; having gotten the information he wanted. Three people would last them awhile.

* * *

Alex sat at the table with Gareth. They were in the small room they always discussed business in.

"Did you check on them this morning?"

"I did," said Alex, "All still out cold." Gareth nodded and said

"How's your cheek?"

"It's healing." The stab wound he'd gotten from the woman was now heavily bandaged.

"Once we finish off the girl that was already down there we can start with another one of them."

"Who do you think should go first?" Gareth smirked and said

"We definitely should save the best for last and keep the girls around, so the man goes first."

"He's missing a foot you know."

"That's alright," said Gareth, "He didn't look sick or to have the infection so I'm sure he'll be fine." Alex nodded, thinking about how easy the capture had been. They'd gotten two less than they planned but it was still good meat.

"The one that got away, do you think he will try and find us, we left tracks in the snow?" Gareth laughed and said

"I don't think so; he knows he'll be outnumbered. Besides, all those back roads we took will lead him of course. If he does find us we'll take care him real quick. One man can't overpower a whole community." Alex nodded and said

"Part of me hopes he'll show up, just so he can watch us kill all off his friends before we kill him." They didn't usually torture their food anymore then they had too but these people were different. They'd slaughtered one of their hunting groups. Alex got up out of his chair. "I'm gonna go check in on them again, anything you want me to do?"

"I want you to find out who the father of the baby is."

"Why?"

"It's just another thing we can use against them." Alex nodded and headed out the door. "Oh and one more thing, make sure your son stays out of the cellar. He did a shitty job at cutting and cauterizing that last slice off the girl and I don't want him down there messing with the new people." Alex nodded and then shut the door after him. He walked back out into the main yard and saw the group of returning men out by the gate. He kept his head down and tried to move quietly by but he didn't go unnoticed.

"Dad!" He looked up to see Archie walking towards him. He let out a groan and said

"What?"

"Where you headed too?"

"The barn."

"Fun," said Archie, "Can I come?"

"No," said Alex, "Actually the only people that are allowed down there now is Gareth and I."

"You don't trust me?"

"No," he said, "Just can't have anyone fucking around with the new people. Gareth didn't like how you've been cutting the meat, he thinks you did sloppy job." He didn't have time to deal with a whiney kid. He turned back towards the street and kept on moving, leaving his son behind fuming.

He opened up the barn and went down the stairs. Sitting against the wall, now awake was the blonde girl. He was sure she was awake; she had her face in her hands. He slammed the door and she jumped and looked up at him.

"Good morning," he said with a smile, "How was your sleep?" She kept her mouth shut, watching him with wide fearful eyes. "I'm Alex."

"Why did you bring me here?" Her voice was small and shaking which made him grin even wider.

"It's your own fault really; if you hadn't killed our hunting group then we wouldn't of come looking for you." The girl looked confused, clearly still hazy from being knocked out. "You don't remember do you?" She shoke her head. He felt a wave of anger and impatience. He charged forward and grabbed onto her hair and pulled her head back to look at him. She screamed, trying to kick him away. One of her feet got him on his already damaged cheek. Losing control he brought his hand back and smacked her as hard as he could. "SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" She held a hand to her swelling cheek and pressed herself against the wall, tears pouring down her face. "Are you gonna be quiet for me?!" She nodded her head. "Good," he smirked, "It happened months ago, you and your friends decided to slaughter a group of our hunters in the town nearby." Recognition crossed her face and she said

"Please, I'll do anything just let us leave."

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"I can't have my baby here." He laughed and said

"You won't be. Taking you and your friends serves more of a purpose than just using you for the fun of torture." He pulled a machete off of the wall and went over to the nearly limbless girl lying on her side. She didn't fight anymore and when he brought down the machete onto her arm she didn't even scream. This time when the arm came off he didn't cauterize the wound and let her bleed out. He cut from her collarbone to her pelvis and began to pull out all of the edible meat and organs inside her stomach. He looked back at the woman. He picked up a piece of flesh and making sure she was watching, he popped it into his mouth. Raw meat wasn't the most delicious thing to taste but he wanted to get his point across to her. Her eyes widened with horror and she said

"You're cannibals?" He didn't answer her and scooped up all of the meat into a bucket to be brought upstairs for cleaning. He placed the bucket in front of her and said

"Don't worry, you're last." He looked over at the man still lying on the floor. "He's gonna be first." Although the fear in her eyes was obvious he was sure if he was the one who the baby belonged to she'd have a bigger reaction. He looked down at her stomach and said

"So he's not the father?" Again she didn't tell him anything and looked up at him with hatred. He was sick of her attitude and he hit her again. "TELL ME!" He hit her repeatedly, determined to beat the answer out of her. "Was it the man we killed back at the house?" She shoke her head, a stream of blood pouring from her mouth. "So it's the man that escaped?" The instant the words came from his mouth he regretted them. He had intended on keeping the fact that one had escaped a secret from her. Her eyes lit up. "So it's his?" She didn't have to nod for confirmation; he could see it in her eyes. He had all that he needed from her for now and he stood up. As he walked towards the door he heard talk again, this time stronger and defiant.

"I'm glad I stabbed you in the cheek, I hope it hurts. I hope you get an in infection and your face rots away." He didn't have time to play childish games with her and he didn't reply, leaving her there.

* * *

Daryl had been running for forty-eight hours when he finally collapsed in a patch of soft snow. His whole body felt numb with exhaustion and cold. He was beyond starving and extremely weak. He had found the fresh tire tracks at the bottom of the house's driveway and knew right away it was left by the people who had taken Beth. The tracks had taken him south and then they had veered off down a different road that had brought him into a small town. He knew he couldn't stay outside in the snow. If he fell asleep here a walker would no doubt find him and bite him. Painfully, he got to his feet again and stumbled into a small building that had once been a café. He did a quick scan for walkers and was thankful to see there were none. He locked the door and collapsed on a couch towards the back of the store. He reached inside his bag and grabbed onto the turkey meat he'd been saving. He stuffed his face, eating as much as he possibly could. When he was sufficiently full he leaned back onto the couch and almost instantly fell asleep. He knew he was going to have nightmares. There wasn't one specific sequence that made any sense. He could hear her screaming his name in pain and fear. The one nightmare that stuck in his mind was of her, strung up by her wrists. Her stomach was cut open and it was clear all of her organs had been removed. On the dirty ground lay a tiny crying baby.

He woke up with tears on his face and he was covered in cold sweat. He had never felt so miserable. His father's beatings may have caused him physical pain but the emotional pain from losing Beth hit him hard. It was night now, but he wanted to get back on the road as quickly as possible. He ate a few more pieces of meat before sitting up. He grabbed his bag and crossbow and headed out the door.

**Thanks Caitiann, Prime13, Eliza and all the guests for commenting :) **

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	19. Chapter 19

Candice looked frantically around for her sister and Athena. She was surrounded by a wall of flames and sweat was pouring down her faster the ever. She felt like she was in an oven. She screamed out her sister's name in desperation, the smoke and fire disorienting her. She felt like she was on fire and when she looked down she realized she actually was. Her right leg was lit up like a torch. She screamed and dropped to the ground trying to smoother the flames.

"Candice!" She heard a voice call out to her. Out of the flames came her father. He saw her leg and instantly took his shirt off, trying to kill the flames by suffocating them with the material. Once it was out she got to her feet, her leg aching with pain. Her flesh had nastily bubbled up and was an angry red color. She tried not think about it as her father grabbed her hand and they ran. She wasn't sure where they were going but they had to get away. The further they got away the more the flames died down but the smoke was thicker, blinding them completely. She tried to not inhale so much of it but it was no use and they were both uncontrollably coughing. Out of nowhere a walker threw itself at them. Her father saw it just in time and swung his crossbow around, impaling its soft head and knocking it to the ground. She grabbed onto her knife and took it out, ready to fight more off. More snarls could be heard in the smoke and they stood back to back, waiting for the attack. Maybe it was the scent of her singed flesh that drew them because they came out of the smoke.

Together, one by one, they took them down until the herd became too big to handle and they turned and fled, knocking over the walkers that got in the way. They kept running even when the smoke started to clear. They'd gone the right way and escaped the fire but what about the others?

Her father finally allowed them to stop after about a half an hour. Candice leaned over, her leg still burning up, her body feeling weak. Up ahead, almost completely hidden by the darkness was an old house. Her father nudged her onward and said

"C'mon." The house was still standing but they didn't trust the second floor so they stayed on the ground floor. "How you feelin'?" The pain was pretty bad now, and Candice fought to keep tears back. She wanted to stay strong like he was.

"My leg is blown up like a balloon."

"Lemme get a look at it." Candice sat down on the couch and stretched her leg out. As she straightened it she couldn't help but let a cry of pain. Her father looked at her concerned and shushed her comfortingly. Her leg looked grotesque. Some of the blisters had already popped and were oozing yellow pus and blood. Her skin looked disgustingly charred and flakey. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore and she said

"Am I gonna be alright?" Her father moved forward and pulled her into a tight hug, stroking her hair.

"You're gonna be fine sweetheart."

* * *

Daryl kissed his daughter's forehead and then went over to his bag. His mind was going a million miles a minute as he tried to think of what to do. He had managed to grab his bag before he ran out of the trailer and he had a few clean towels in his bag he could wrap her leg with but it'd be better if they were wet. He didn't want to risk dipping them in river water. That could cause a worse infection. He remembered the book of matches in his pocket. If he could boil the water it'd be purified and he could use that.

"I got an idea." He moved into the kitchen and found a stack of old bowls. "I'll be right back." He left the house, remembering a small stream they'd passed on the way.

Carl was alone, completely alone. He wasn't sure what the hell had happened. He'd woken up to his trailer half burning. He had called out for the others but had gotten no response. Now he was sitting against a tree, contemplating what his next move was going to be. Surely the others had made it out?

He was painfully reminded of the fall of the prison decades ago. He'd lost almost all of his family then but he had never been alone. The smoke still hung in the air but he'd gotten away from the fire. He thought about Michonne, the woman who'd become his adoptive mother, his sister and Candice. There had never been any other girls his age around and things seemed to have been going perfectly with her. As expected he'd gotten some threatening looks from Daryl but it hadn't scared him away.

He looked up at the sky, only to see a tinge of pink on the horizon. It would be morning soon and he'd be able to start looking for the others.

Daryl returned with a large bowl of water. Candice was still laid up on the couch, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion, the pain preventing her from slipping into slumber.

"Do you think someone set that fire?"

"I don't know," he said, "Coulda been just a forest fire. Someone didn't put out their fire good enough 'n it spread." As he set up a small fire to boil the water over his thoughts went to the others, particularly his other daughter. They wouldn't be moving anywhere fast with Candice's leg ad he wouldn't be able to go out and search. He didn't want to leave her alone here. He got the flames going he set the bowl over it on a cooking grill. "That should heat up quick," he said, "Then we'll get your leg wrapped."

"It's not so bad if I don't move it." She paused and then said "I was with Georgette and Athena for a bit," she said, "But I got separated from them, so they have to be out there somewhere."

"We'll find 'em."

"I know we will," said Candice, "I just hope they're not hurt." Daryl smiled at his daughter's hopefulness. She proved she was more and more like her mother every day. "Mom's up there watching over us. She'll make sure Georgette comes back to us." He swallowed a lump in his throat and turned to her, running a hand down her cheek.

"She sure will sweetheart."

When the water was hot enough Daryl took out the towels and dipped them in until they were all damp. Carefully he wrapped them around Candice's leg. He heard her yelp in pain a few times and he could tell she was holding back tears as she bit her lip and watched what he was doing. When he was done she let out a sigh of relief and said

"It feels soothing." He saw her look past him and out the window. "Oh look the sun's gonna come up soon." He turned and looked out the window. The sky was in fact getting lighter and within the next hour or two it would rise completely.

"No point in tryin' to get some sleep."

"You gonna go out and search for the others?"

"Nah," he said, "Can't leave you here alone." She looked annoyed and said

"I'll be fine here."

"You can only move so fast on that leg."

"I ran last night!"

"It doesn't matter," he said, not wanting to listen to her logic, "I ain't leavin' you. I'm not loosin' my last daughter." She crossed her arms and put on a pout that was so much like Beth's it was incredible. He laughed and said

"You need to rest up princess, you ain't gettin' off that couch until I say so."

* * *

Carl found himself in a downtown area. To his surprise, there were no walkers lurking around the street, but he kept his guard up, ready for anything. He knew the risks of making any noise but he couldn't help himself.

"Michonne? Daryl?" He went silent for a moment, listening for a reply. When he got none he called out again, this time to Candice and Judith. A man stepped out from an alleyway. For a moment he thought it was one of the group until he saw his face clearly. The man held out a spear and said

"What is it you want stranger?"

"Just looking for some people. Anybody else pass through here?"

"No," he said, "And you'd be wise to turn around." Carl spotted faces in the windows in the building above. They looked down at him with fear. There was clearly a colony here.

"I'm not here to hurt you or steal from you; I'm just looking for my friends, we got separated in a fire."

"The forest fire north of here?"

"Ya," said Carl, "You know about it?"

"Course I do," he said, "Been blazin' for a week now. It's been getting closer and closer to us. Where were you and your friends staying?"

"In a trailer park." The man looked shocked and said

"That close?" Carl nodded. As hungry as he was he didn't want to stick around any longer. He needed to keep searching.

"I should get going, good luck to you and your family."

"Good luck to you too, hope you find who you're lookin' for." The man allowed Carl to pass through and into the woods on the other side.

* * *

"Get your ass up Dixon!" Irving was awoken to a foot roughly nudging him in the side. He opened his eyes to see the black woman over him, glaring at him with impatience and anger. He remembered leaving his trailer last night after waking up to the fire. He had taken off running, hoping he'd run into someone. When he felt the itchy hay underneath him he remembered that he'd passed out in a barn. With a groan he said

"What's your name again?" He almost felt like he was waking up after a drunk night partying. He had inhaled a huge amount of smoke and he felt like complete shit.

"It's Michonne," she said, "Now come on get up." He sat up and said

"Where'd you come from?"

"I found you," she said, "We need to find the others."

"Where'd they go?" He could tell she was getting impatient with him.

"They're missing." Things started to piece together in his hazy mind. Georgette. Where was she? That was enough motivation from him to get to his feet.

"Daryl and Georgette?"

"Haven't seen 'em," said Michonne, "But we can go looking for them."

They didn't talk to each other as they moved along into the woods. Irving's mind was on Georgette. He tried to keep the panic out of his head. He had spent years alone, knowing that if he got close to people again something exactly like this would happen.

* * *

Odilia felt like she was pulling the weight for all three of them. While Pedro helped her hold up a weak Sarah, he was also not fully recovered and was still moving slowly. When they finally stopped running it was nearly morning. They slumped to the ground, completely exhausted. Odilia didn't know either of them very well and Sarah was the first one to speak.

"Fire can be man's greatest advantage and worst enemy." Her voice sounded raspy and forced. The poor woman had already been sick and she was sure inhaling all of that smoke hadn't helped. She looked over at Pedro.

"Did you grab anything before we got outta there?" He shoke his head, his dark hair plastered to his face in sweat. Odilia collapsed, feeling hopeless. The thoughts of reaching Louisiana were completely out of her mind now. They were alone out here, with no supplies or weapons except for she and Pedro's knives. That would at least defend them from walkers but it wouldn't catch any food for them. She wasn't even quite sure where they were. She'd left the map behind and without it they'd have to move south and hope they would end up somewhere recognizable to her. If they didn't find the others then the mission was off and there was no way she and Pedro alone could overcome an entire village. Pedro spoke next and said

"We need to find the others." Odilia hadn't seen anyone else besides the three of them fleeing.

"Think they made it out ok?"

"I saw someone running," said Sarah, "Not sure who it was. They had their back turned and they didn't hear me calling." As much as she wanted to rescue her mother she knew she owed Georgette and the group her life. She wouldn't have made such a journey by herself. They had dropped their lives back in Georgia for her, with the shaky hope of being able to defeat Vince and his men and take the village for themselves.

"We'll find 'em," she said, "But for now we needta find a place to rest up." She could see the struggle to breathe in Sarah's eyes and while she wasn't a nurse she would try and help her. At least if the old woman passed she'd go peacefully in a bed rather than in the middle of travel. She saw Pedro looking at her with concern as well and she said "Let's go find someplace."

They got back on their feet again, both supporting Sarah. They moved slower than before and Pedro was able to keep up better. When the outline of a neighborhood could be seen through the trees they picked up the pace. Like most houses still standing, they were falling apart. They didn't try and use the second floor and instead stuck the first floor of a split level house. Odilia and Pedro gently lowered Sarah down onto a bed and tucked her into the comforter. The woman was instantly asleep, her breathe still sounding strained as she breathed in and out. Pedro was the first to say it.

"I don't think she has much time left."

"Me neither," said Odilia, "The smoke did her in. We should stay here." She looked up at him. "Just until it happens." She didn't like talking about death, especially that of an old sweet woman. He nodded and said

"She'll go in peace."

* * *

When Ares woke up the first thing he was aware of his was how much pain he was in, particularly his arms and chest. He groaned and opened his eyes, his throat dry as a desert and the sun blinding him.

"Don't sit up!" Carlotta's stern face hung above him. He managed to rasp out

"Water."

"Judith bring me some more of that water." He saw a flash of red hair and he had a jug of water pressed to his lips almost instantly. He felt someone lifting it gently so that a small stream went down, preventing him from choking on it. The water going down was one of the best things he'd ever felt and it momentarily blocked out all of the other pain he was feeling. "You're gonna be ok," said Carlotta, "Just stay still for me." He felt her pressing something to his chest, arms and legs. It was then that he realized he was completely naked. "You got burns all over you," she continued, "But they're not third degree." It was then he remembered the fire. He'd woken up on fire. He hadn't been sure what was going on and he'd run out of the trailer, not having enough space to drop and roll. The fact that the fire hadn't even registered in his head until he got out the door. He'd turned back to get his sister out and found that the door had been engulfed in flames. He'd gone around the back of the trailer to see that the window had been broken, at least giving him the comfort knowing that Athena had gotten out.

* * *

Georgette woke up on the shoreline, still half lying in the river. She had thrown up a ton of water she had swallowed and her body was sore and bruises but otherwise she didn't detect any immediate problems. She sat up and looked around. The river was still surging on like it had been last night. After leaping the waterfall the current had picked up and dragged them downriver, spitting them out here. She looked to see Athena on her left, starting to move. The forest here was undamaged and she could hear birds chirping. She wondered how far downriver they'd been carried and where they were. Athena opened her eyes, narrowing them in the sunlight.

"How are you feeling?"

"Alright," said Athena, "Where are we?"

"I don't know," said Georgette, "Not sure how far away we are from that waterfall. The fire didn't spread here." Georgette's mind was still half asleep and she tried to think of what they needed to do. They had nothing on them besides their knives and a wet pack of lighters. Athena didn't seem to want to waste any time and she forced herself to her feet with a struggle.

"We need to go back upriver," she said, "Try and find the others."

"That's not a good idea," said Georgette, "That fire is probably still burning."

"I don't care what you do," said Athena, "But I'm going to try and find my brother. If you wanna go in the opposite direction, be my guest." Georgette had no strength to fight her.

"Fine, lead the way."

The two girls made the tiring trek back upriver. Georgette walked behind Athena, dreading every painful step. When the heavy scent of something burning hit her nostrils she knew she had proved Athena wrong. It wasn't long before they walked into a haze of smoke that kept getting thicker and thicker as they moved.

"Come on," said Georgette, "Be reasonable, your brother would run far away from here, if we're gonna find him we need to search places unaffected by the fire. I want to find my father and sister just as much as you want to find your brother." Athena turned and glared at her. For a moment Georgette thought she would still refuse. To her surprise Athena said

"Fine, let's go." They turned back around and headed back where they had come from, the thought of finding food and shelter not on their minds as they thought of their family.

**Thanks DarylDixon'sLover, stateofgrace-xo, K. Lynn Perks and PlaneJane71 for commenting :)**

**So the separation is going to give me a chance to flesh out some of my characters better. I feel like there are some who have yet to interact. But don't worry that wasn't the whole point of the separation. Every chapters will have a piece from each group. So from here chapters might get a bit longer. **

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	20. Chapter 20

Beth lay on her side, facing the wall. She desperately wanted to sleep but the cold hard floor was making it impossible along with the baby's position making her uncomfortable. She could feel him or her digging into her ribs with either an elbow or foot. Whenever she or he would wiggle it felt like her ribs were cracking. She had tried to encourage the baby to move by lying in different positions but she got some angry kicks from the baby and had given up.

She heard a small shuffling in the corner and she sat up. Sasha was on her knees, her face in her hands. A large bruise had swelled where she had been hit with the gun on her temple and she was clearly still in pain.

"Sasha?" Upon hearing Beth's voice Sasha opened her eyes and turned to look at her.

"Beth? Where the hell are we?"

"We were brought here." She could imagine that both Sasha and Bob would be pretty confused. Neither of them had gotten a chance to even figure out what was going on before they'd been knocked out. Now she had the task of breaking the news of Tyreese's death to her. She saw Sasha scan the room and then say

"Where's Daryl and Tyreese?" Beth wished Bob was awake with them. He was chained close enough to Sasha to touch her and Beth knew when she told Sasha she'd need the physical comfort of a hug.

"Daryl got away." She felt tears well up in her eyes as she tried to find the words to tell Sasha about Tyreese. Sasha saw the look of devastation on Beth's face and picked up on it.

"He's dead isn't he?" Beth nodded, tears flowing down her face. Sasha broke down completely, sobbing into her hands.

"He died trying to protect us all," she said, "He knocked over the man who was aiming at Bob and killed another." Sasha looked up at her with a tear-stained face.

"Why are we here?" Beth knew their main purpose for these people were to become their food but it went deeper than that.

"A few months ago when your brother, Daryl and I were on the road we ran into a group of hunters who wanted us. We were able to defeat them and kill them all. They were from this place. These people have been tracking us since then."

"So they're going to torture us?"

"They're cannibals." A look of shock broke through Sasha's sadness and she said

"They want to eat us?" Beth nodded and said

"I talked to one of them earlier." Sasha pulled at her chains and said

"We need to get outta here."

"Daryl's still out there." She quickly explained what had happened in the house and how the man had let it slip that Daryl had escaped.

"He better have a plan."

"He will." Beth knew Daryl wouldn't just run and leave them. He was probably on their trail right now, although she wasn't sure how big the community was. If Daryl was going to rescue them he'd have to be sly about it.

* * *

Daryl found himself in a dense neighborhood. The houses were extremely close together and he could see a ton of walkers lurking up ahead. The tire tracks continued on down the street and he was stuck with the dilemma of risking getting overrun or cutting through some backyards and trying to stay on track. As he got closer he realized it would be a better idea to cut through yards. He was no good to Beth if he was dead or missing a limb due to a bite. He turned to the house on the right and went into the yard through a gate. The fences were high and he could not see beyond it into the other yard. He could run pretty fast but he was a bit old to be jumping fences. As a kid he'd climbed trees and sometimes into the windows of empty houses to unlock the front door for Merle. Putting his crossbow on his back he placed one foot on the wood and slowly pulled himself up so he could see over the top. There was one walker inside. When it saw him it snarled and came towards the fence, clawing up at him. He quickly shot an arrow into its head, killing it. Taking a deep breath he swung himself over the fence. Instead of landing on his feet he lost control and ended up on his back in the tall grass. He got to his feet and saw that the next fence was a small picket fence.

As he moved through yards he made sure he was staying alongside the right road. He could hear the snarling of the walkers and tried to tune it out and think about Beth and the others. He moved silently along, making as little noise as possible. He knew he had fucked up big time when he threw himself over another tall fence and landed on a cluster of metal trash cans. Not only did he knock the wind out of his body when he hit the ground, he sent all of the cans over in a loud crash. He felt like a fucking idiot and silently cursed as he got back up. He didn't have to hear the hungry growls now approaching to know that they had heard him. He heard them piling their bodies against the latched gate at the front of the yard. Instead of continuing on forward and risking being boxed in he headed towards the back off the yard and pulled himself onto that fence. Just as he hoisted himself over he heard the wood snapping and they flowed into the yard as the fence fell down.

After hopping his fifteenth fence he could no longer hear the snarling. He peeked out through one of the gates and saw that the road was now clear. Just as he hoisted himself over the walkers knocked the fence down. They flowed into the yard. As he jumped to the ground he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders and turned to come face to face with the rotting face of a man. He plunged his knife into its forehead and it fell. To his horror there were more closing in on him. He was surrounded on all side as he felt the crowd from the street start to push on the fence he'd just come over. He wasn't going to die here. He let himself envision the future, he, Beth and the others in a safe place. A beautiful baby with curly brown hair and blue eyes. His life had just started falling together, he wasn't going down yet. His child would not end up like Judith, she or he would have both parents there. He grabbed his crossbow off of his back and began to shoot them down one by one according to which ones were the closest to him. He could hear the fence behind him splitting and cracking. He grabbed as many arrows as he could from the heads of the fallen walkers and went onto the next fence. He found himself on another road. What confused him was that there were tire tracks also on this one. He was positive he was not on the same street as the one before. Seeing no walkers, he headed up the road to see if it connected with the one he'd been on before. He saw an intersection up ahead and picked up the pace. When he reached it he realized that there wasn't just one path of tire tracks but several. They went in every direction, not giving him any clear path to follow. All the tracks were from the same tire design and he realized Beth's captors must have purposely done it to confuse him.

* * *

Beth heard the door at the top of the stairs swing open. She and Sasha stopped talking and looked up expectantly. A different man than the last entered the room, holding three plates. Beth's stomach growled at the scent of cooked food.

"Hello," he said, "How are you feeling?" His tone was teasing and he was smirking. Before Beth could answer she heard Sasha yell out.

"You're a sick fuck! You're keeping us here to eat like cattle!" The man laughed and said

"It's survival of the fittest nowadays, if you couldn't defend yourself than you deserve to be food." Beth tried to be reasonable and said

"If you let us out we can catch some food for you. Deer, rabbits, whatever you want."

"We prefer human meat," said the man, "Even if we could hunt animals we've all grown to like it." He smiled and said "In fact you'll get your first taste of it today." He placed one of the plates down in front of her and said "Eat up!" Everything in Beth's senses told her to dig into the piece of freshly cooked meat sitting on her plate. But her mind knew better.

"We're not gonna eat our own kind," she said, pushing the plate away.

"Would you rather starve and kill your baby?" If Beth wasn't pregnant she'd say yes. She could withstand a few days without food. But the baby needed nutrition and food.

"Don't make us do this," she said, "Bring us something else please."

"No," he said, "You eat this or you starve." He placed the next two plates in front of Sasha and a still unconscious Bob. He then went over to a sink and poured them each a glass of water. As Beth took a sip she felt the baby shift onto her bladder, taking the discomfort off of her ribs and giving her the sudden urge to pee. The man was headed back up the stairs and she said

"Where's the bathroom?" He pointed to a tin bucket sitting nearby and said

"There's one in each corner."

* * *

Archie watched Gareth come out of the barn, now empty-handed. He'd clearly been going to feed the hostages. Gareth must have spotted him standing in the field and started to walk towards him.

"Hey," he said, "What are you doing?" It sounded accusatory.

"Nothing."

"Don't you even think about trying to sneak in there," said Gareth, "Don't need you sticking your nose where it don't belong." Gareth headed off towards town and Archie watched him go. Someday he was going to kill that man, and then he'd regret treating him like a child.

* * *

Daryl was clueless on what to do. There was no way of telling which way was the right one without searching the entire neighborhood which could take days. He didn't have that kind of time. He walked along the road he'd been on before cutting into the backyards. It was clear of walkers now. This was the last road they'd gone down that he knew wasn't a detour or trick. Before this road there had been no other misleading tracks until it connected to the intersection. He decided to start searching on the left. As he walked it became an overwhelming task. There were numerous roads that led off in different directions and smaller roads that led off of those. It was a fucking maze. By the time he'd returned the sun was down and it was night. He hadn't even reached the end and he'd have to pick up on it tomorrow.

He decided to bunk in a two story house sitting at the intersection. He decided to stay on the second floor to avoid any more issues with walkers. Like most houses, the beds were dusty. He flapped the blankets out and then lay down, not taking off his boats or jacket.

Like the night before he moved in and out of sleep, disturbed by the horrifying nightmares that shrouded his mind. He woke up just as the sun was rising. He ate the last of the turkey meat and knew he'd have to go hunting soon. He slung his bag and crossbow up onto his back and went downstairs. As he was passing through the kitchen something caught his eye. Sitting on the marble counter was a folded up map. He picked it up and flipped it open. On the right there was a large red circle in sharpie. It was then that he realized that the map was of the town he was in and the red circle marked where he was. The neighborhood was clearly on the map and a small star indicated the intersection he was at. There were several roads that led out of the neighborhood. Another thing he noticed was that a large block of green space was marked off to the right of the neighborhood. Inside the space were the words 'fairgrounds.' It was all he needed to know. He folded up the map and stuck it in his bag before going out into the cold air. If these fairgrounds still had rides standing that would give him a good vantage point to see the entire neighborhood. From there he'd be able to see what tracks led where.

* * *

Beth stared down at the piece of meat growing cold on her plate. Sasha had immediately dismissed the idea of eating her food and had pushed it aside. Beth wished she could do the same. But it wasn't just her life she had to worry about right now. She could feel the baby moving around as her stomach growled.

"You can do it," said Sasha, "It's up to you, I'm not going to judge you if you do."

"I wouldn't even consider it if I wasn't pregnant." Slowly she picked it up off the plate. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine she was sitting at home with her family on the farm. That they were all around the table for dinner and her mother had made chicken. She opened her mouth and took a bite.

She didn't like the taste the moment it touched her tongue. She forced herself to swallow and gagged a little afterwards. It tasted like bad pork to her. She took another bite and felt like it was stuck in her throat as her body refused to let her swallow. When she finally got it down she continued to struggle to eat. She had consumed about half of it when she felt the nausea hit her. Her mouth started to water and she knew she was going to vomit. She grabbed the bucket and emptied her stomach into it, ejecting everything she'd just eaten. As hard as she tried there was no way she'd be able to keep it down knowing it was human meat. She lay down on her side, feeling miserable and hungry again. Beth tried to think of a way she, Bob and Sasha could get themselves out. Even if they managed to get out of the chains they'd still have to make it out of the community which was no doubt fenced and guarded in some way. Sasha watched her sympathetically and said

"Daryl's gonna come, I know it. He'll get us out of here."

**Hope you guys liked this chapter and the last :) Review and let me know what you think! I've never been pregnant so I have no idea how it feels but I've spent some time online reading about it so hopefully I'm accurate when it comes to what Beth's feeling. Also same with the human meat thing lol I have no idea what it tastes like and I never hope too, I hope none of you will either lol.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	21. Chapter 21

Irving wasn't sure where they were but they hadn't seen any sign of the fire in a few miles, neither had they seen any sign of the group. Part of him felt like giving up and ditching Michonne, finding a new place to settle down alone again. If he was never going to see Georgette again there was no point in continuing on, even Thor was gone. He heard a slicing sound up ahead and saw Michonne taking down a lone walker. She turned back to look at him and said

"Are you coming or are you just gonna keep dragging your feet?"

"You seem awfully determined."

"The faster we move, the faster we find the others."

"How do you know we are? Haven' seen any sign of 'em." She flared up and said

"They're out there!" Her sudden rage surprised him and he shut up, letting her walk on. He wasn't quite sure where they were. They had yet to cross onto a main road and the back roads they were on had no signs.

By the time the sun was setting again his anxiety level was at an all-time high. Their chances of finding not just Georgette but anyone from the group was diminishing. He hadn't spoken a word to Michonne since her outburst.

"There's a good place to stay for the night." She pointed out a small brick building up ahead.

"Look here," he said, "All the others are gone 'n I'm sensin' that this," he pointed in between the two of them "ain't gonna work. So I'll just be on my way." The same look of rage passed over her face and she said

"You're just gonna abandon everyone?!"

"If you haven't taken a look around," he sarcastically spread his arms out, "There ain't no group anymore."

"They're alive," said Michonne, "Trust me." Their voices were getting louder.

"I barely even know you!"

"I've been through this before," she said, "I know what I'm talking about!" Irving was torn on what to do. Clearly this woman was trustworthy if Daryl had known her for so long. All he said was

"Alright, fine." Michonne nodded and reassured him again.

"We're gonna find them." They continued onto the house. She kicked the door open only to let out two walkers. After killing them both they went inside. It had been some sort of small store before the turn. An old couch sat in the corner behind a rack of clothing.

"You can take the couch," he said, grabbing one of the pillows.

"You sure?"

"Ya." He threw the pillow to the floor and lay down on the rug. As Michonne got comfortable they were silent. When she finally sat down on to clean off her sword it felt awkward, the only sound the swiping of her cloth as she cleaned the blade.

"You know the whole story about me and your cousin?"

"I know about the prison," he said, "He told me awhile back."

"When we all got separated I found Carl and his dad and eventually Daryl. I was alone and doubted I'd be able to find them but I did." Irving continued to stare up at the ceiling, not wanting to tell her about he and Georgette and how worried he truly was. He didn't need to look like a pussy. Instead he just said

"I'll keep lookin' with you."

* * *

Georgette was so hungry it hurt. She was dizzy and weak and her legs somehow continued to carry her on through the forest. Athena walked beside her, also showing signs of starvation. At first their main goal had been trying to track down some of the others. They were sure that it wouldn't take them long but it was now sunset and they hadn't eaten in almost forty-eight hours. They had decided to try and find a walker after Athena suggested they try and fashion a spear out of bone.

"They're never around when you need them," said Georgette, trying to lighten the mood a bit. Athena's face stayed serious as she walked on. As soon as she had her strength back she was going to confront her, ask her why she gave her the cold shoulder. Was it just their dueling headstrong personalities or was it something more?

The sun continued to set and it was nearly night when they finally spotted one. It was alone and stumbling around in between the trees. Athena plunged her knife into its head and immediately began to break its leg off. The bone splintered and broke in a sharp point like they had wanted. Georgette set out to look for a long enough stick. She broke a branch off of a tree and headed back over. Athena had broken the bone into a rough spearhead.

"What are we gonna use to bind it?" Georgette looked around, thinking of what they could use. A light bulb went off in her head and she said

"I know." She looked down at her side. Her father's jacket was twined together on the sides with a leather string. Carefully, she took her knife and began cutting at a piece of it off. As Athena worked on securing it around the bone Georgette cut ridges into the stick to wrap the string in to make it hold. Five minutes later they had a fully made spear. Georgette didn't care if it was nighttime, she wanted something to eat. She grabbed it from Athena's grip and said

"Go set up shelter, I'm gonna get some food." Before Athena could protect Georgette walked off, not letting her cousin get the last word.

She'd gotten good with using spears to hunt and when she spotted a squirrel close by she snuck up as close as possible without making herself noticeable. In a flash she had thrown it and the squirrel was now dead, impaled by the spear tip. She wasted no time and she instantly dug in. She'd had raw meat before and it had been disgusting but now it didn't matter. She was too hungry to care. She cut open the squirrel and began picking out the edible meat inside, stuffing her face.

Irving woke up that next morning to the delicious scent of meat cooking over a fire. He was on his feet almost instantly. Michonne was in fact sitting at a fire in the center of the room.

"How'd you-?" She smiled and cut him off.

"I found a chicken," she said, "It was outside when I woke up."

"Do you think there could be a community nearby? It coulda escaped off of someone's farm."

"I don't know," she said, "But it'll be a good breakfast." As Michonne cut him a piece he suddenly felt guilty. If only Georgette and Thor were here with him. As they ate they discussed their next plan of action.

"We needa find a main road," he said, "Figure out if we're even on the right route."

"So you're staying with me?" Irving nodded and said

"I ain't gonna give up yet." Georgette's face fabricated inside his head, if she was out there somewhere he would stop at nothing to find her.

"Good," she said with a smirk, "Having a Dixon along for the ride is always good luck." Irving smiled at her playful tone. Maybe he would grow to like her.

Georgette found Athena back where she'd left her. Georgette held up the string of squirrels she'd caught.

"I found dinner!" Athena nodded her serious demeanor still not cracking.

"I found a place to stay, come on." Athena led her through the woods and into an overgrown graveyard. The weathered headstones were barely visible anymore beneath the thick, long grass.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Athena led her up to the entrance of an old stone building that was halfway built into the ground under a hill. A small fire was already going inside, lighting up the dark cavern. The place had clearly been a storage facility. There were old, rusty yard tools against the wall and shovels. "It'll do for the night." Georgette nodded in agreement and set her squirrels down to help Athena pull the heavy door back into place. They instantly got to work on skinning and cooking the squirrels. The flames sent an eerie glow across the stone walls, giving Georgette the creeps. They had spent their whole lives avoiding the dead and now they were sleeping amongst them.

It didn't take them long to cook the squirrels and they gorged themselves on them. By the time they were done all of the meat was gone and a pile of skins lay in the corner. The dulling flames and her full belly made Georgette sleepy. She didn't care if they were sleeping on a cold, hard, stone floor. She couldn't keep her eyes open and she lay down, using her hands as a pillow.

* * *

Carl knew he was moving south which he assumed was the direction everyone would keep moving in. He had yet to see anyone and he was getting the feeling that maybe he was the last one left. If so should he keep on moving towards Louisiana? Maybe try and find this group for himself and see what the deal was? He could always go back to Georgia where hopefully, Talmidge was still living in the hospital. But that was a long way away and he couldn't give up yet. He had only escaped from the fire last night and if others had lived they probably wouldn't be far off yet. He heard his father's voice in his head, telling him to push on. He could see his face in his head, covered with graying facial hair, his blue eyes serious. His father's death still sometimes haunted him. Over the years he'd come to accept that it wasn't his fault, but every once in awhile the negative thoughts would creep back into his head, usually after a bad nightmare that recounted the attack.

He heard a rushing sound and stopped to listen. There was definitely a river nearby. He quickly searched it out and found it just beyond the trees and in the forest. It wasn't very wide at all and was more of a stream but it was moving, meaning the water hadn't been sitting and going stagnate. He got on his knees and drank as much as he could. He hadn't eaten or drank anything since dinner the night before the fire. He wasn't as concerned with food as he was with stay hydrated. He could last a long time without food but he needed water to stay on his feet. As he sat back up and looked at himself he saw a bit of his father in his face. He always thought he was a good mix between both Lori and Rick but now that he was getting older he thought he was starting to look like his dad. However Judith was the spitting image of his mother and always would be. A loud rustling in the bushes behind him broke through his thoughts and he was on his feet, his knife out, ready for a fight. Instead of a walker a familiar gray dog came bounding out of the bushes. It was Irving's dog. He lowered his knife and noticed the smell of singed fur. The dog's right side had been burnt up but besides that he seemed alright.

"C'mere boy." He lightly petted the dog on the head. He happily licked his hand as Carl checked out his injuries. They weren't too severe but he'd have to do something about them. At least he wouldn;t be alone anymore. The dog jumped up on his hind legs and rested his paws on Cal's shoulders, panting happily in his face. Carl laughed and lightly pushed the dog down. "I'm glad to see you too." The dog began to lap at the stream, while Carl sat next to him, petting his good side.

When Carl felt fully hydrated again he got back up and whistled at Thor.

"Come on boy we're going to find the others." The dog eagerly bounded after him as he walked back out onto the road.

* * *

Candice was in a light sleep when she heard her father opened the door. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. She saw him put his crossbow down and throw a string of rabbits and squirrels over the kitchen table. While she hadn't convinced him to go out and search he had hung around the house and hunted.

"I think I got a card of matches left." She lifted up her hips and found what she was looking for in her back pocket. She tossed them to him and he got to work on making a fire. Candice slowly peeled back the cloth on her leg and saw that her skin was no a grotesque reddish white color. It was charred like wood and the blisters had popped leaving behind big open wounds that seeped pus and blood. Grimacing with disgust she covered it back up again and tried to forget about it.

"We should get back on the road soon."

"When that leg starts healin' up," he said, "If you get an infection you could loose it." She could see that she would be getting nowhere with him and said

"Well if you're gonna make me sit here you should tell me a story." He smiled and said

"A fairytale? Like when you were a baby?"

"No," she laughed, "Tell me about what life was like when we lived together as a family." She was scared she'd hit an emotional nerve but instead he just smiled at her and said

"Alright." He sat down at the table and got to work skinning the rabbits. She could tell he was thinking and then he started.

_Daryl was in a bind. The village had started a program for kids. It was an early form of school for them and it taught them basic math, writing and reading. The community was pretty well developed now and the head council had decided that they could shift their sole focus from just surviving to leading lives now. The kids born into the turn needed to be educated. Georgette would be in her first year and Beth had taken her there, leaving Daryl with the baby. Which would have been fine if he hadn't remembered that he'd promised some of the guys he'd help them build some new houses for their growing community. He held Candice up to face him. _

"_What am I gonna do with you huh?" Candice just giggled at him and stretched out her arms to touch his rough facial hair. He knew he'd have to bring her with him. He set her down in her crib while he got everything together. A bag full of baby toys, a foldable play pen, bottles and a blanket. He put that over his back and that picked up his crossbow and a bag of tools to use in construction. He clearly wasn't going to be able to carry her in his arms. He set everything down again and tried to think of something. It was then he remembered the baby carrier Beth had requested he'd get out on a run. He'd look like a complete idiot but he had no choice. He strapped it to his chest and then placed Candice inside of it. He caught a glimpse off himself in the mirror and groaned in humiliation. Candice seemed happy as she continued to giggle and wriggle her little legs against him. Letting out a sigh of embarrassment he grabbed the rest of his things and left the house. _

_As he had expected the moment he reached the construction site and the other men saw him he heard laughing. One man he knew pretty well walked up and playfully said_

"_You playin' mommy today Dixon?" He just smirked at him and said_

"_Beth left me with her, couldn't just leave her home." The man patted him on the back teasingly and said_

"_Well when you're done we could use you over on one of the houses." Daryl set Candice up under a tree within sight of the house. He wasn't scared of her being stolen as he knew almost everyone in the town. They hadn't had a wall breached by walkers in months and he wasn't very worried about that either. He set her down on a blanket and set up the playpen around her so she couldn't wander off. He gave her some of her toys and said_

"_Daddy's goin' to work, just holler if you need anything." She just stared up at him blankly. He slowly backed away and said "Just stay put." He walked backwards all the way there, watching her chew on her plastic toy keys. He felt himself back into something and he fell over, landing in a puddle. He heard more laughter from nearby. He got up and brushed himself off, turning and walking over to the construction site. _

_He got a half hours worth of work in before Candice started crying. He dropped everything and ran up the hill towards her. He heard one of them men call out._

"_Take your time breastfeeding her, we've got it under control here." He knew they were just busting his balls. The majority of them had kids at home as well. The cry was hungry and he checked her diaper to make sure she didn't need a change. He quickly got a bottle ready for her and picked her up and sat down with her in his arms under the tree. She eagerly began to suck on the bottle as he held it up to her. He let himself relax as she ate. It was a good day. It was sunny, warm and there was a light breeze. From where he was sitting he could see beyond the fence and over the treetops of the forest beyond. He let himself daydream about the others from the prison. Rick, Michonne, Carl, Maggie and Glenn were still a mystery to them. They had hoped one day they'd show up at the village and their family would be whole once again but that had yet to happen. He felt Candice push the bottle away and realized she had finished. He set it aside and put her over his shoulder to burp her. When she finally did he felt her curl up and snuggle into his neck. He didn't dare try and move her. He let out a small laugh and said_

"_You gonna fall asleep on me girl?" Her breathing got deeper and he could feel the light flutter of her breath on his neck. She was completely passed out on him and he had no intention of going back to the construction site and leaving her here. He'd wait till her nap was over. _

Daryl finished his story and waited for Candice to stay something. By this point he had finished skinning the rabbits and they were now cooking over the fire which he was standing next to. She was just smiling at him, a big emotional smile. She slowly got up off the couch and walked towards him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug and said

"I love you daddy." He hugged her back and ruffled her hair.

"I love you too sweetheart." He felt tears come to his eyes as she said

"I may not be a baby anymore but I still need you here for me."

"I'm always gonna be here," he said, kissing her head. "Nuthin's ever gonna separate us again."

* * *

Ares woke up in a bed. The room was dark and for a brief moment he felt like he was back at home, his sister in the room next door and his father cooking downstairs. He could almost smell the meat cooking. As he came out of sleep it all sunk away and he realized he was in a completely different room and all he could smell was must. He was alone and the sudden fear of having been abandoned struck him. Had Carlota and Judith left him here? He was able to move but didn't push himself too much, his burnt flesh still sore.

"Carlotta? Judith?" There was no answer and he carefully pushed the bedroom door open. The sunlight temporarily blinded him. After a moment he could see that he was now standing in a kitchen. He someone moving around outside and was relieved to see that it was Judith. He found the door and went outside. Judith was eating an apple and whittling a stick down into a sharp point.

"Hey," he said, "Where'd you get that apple." Judith smiled and said

"Carlotta found an apple tree, that's where she is right now, picking a whole bunch." She pointed towards the woods. "How are you feeling? You had second degree burns all over your chest and arms."

"Better," he said, "We should get moving soon."

"Carlotta has a plan." Ares nodded and started walking into the trees. He found Carlotta a few feet in. She was reaching up into the apple tree, pulling the ones she could reach down.

"Hey," he said, "I'm feeling better, when will we be getting back on the road?" She looked at him and said

"Are you sure you don't need to rest any more? You got some pretty bad burns." Ares could still feel it across his body but he wasn't going to show it. The others were probably already up and moving. His absolute priority was to find his sister.

"I'm fine," he said, plucking an apple off the branch and biting into it. "How many days have I been out?"

"It's been a day," she said, "Are you sure you're ok to start moving?"

"Ya," he said, "Don't worry about it." He couldn't help but feel the motherly vibe that emanated from Carlotta. She reminded him of maybe what his own mother would have been like. His father had had to play both father and mother and had done a great job at it. He remembered how much of a pain in the ass both he and his sister had been able to handle sometimes.

_A five year old Ares tugged at his father's pant leg, crying his eyes out. He'd been running in the front yard, playing ball with his sister when he'd fallen and scraped up his knee, opening a large cut. _

"_Dadddddd I fell and my leg hurtsssss!" He could feel the blood dripping down his leg, the rocks and dirt still making the cut sting. He heard his sister scream from the other room. His dad was attempting to make dinner over the flames in the fireplace. _

"_Hold on a second buddy I'll get you a band-aid." All of the sudden he heard his sister screaming. The yells grew closer and she burst through the door, her hair on fire. His father dropped what he was doing and jumped on Athena, quickly trying to put her hair out with his hands. When he realized it wasn't working he quickly picked her up and rushed her into the kitchen, Ares still clinging to his leg in a fit. He quickly dunked Athena's head into their large bucket of drinking water. He then set her down, her hair now a singed mess. Then he finally got to work on Ares' cut. Using the water he'd just dunked Athena into, he started to clean it out. Athena stood next to him and tugged on his shirt._

"_Dad you gotta cut my hair! It smells so gross!" He ignored her and continued to work on Ares. She continued to whine at him and he didn't turn his attention back to her until Ares' cut was clean and bandaged. Without saying a word he scooped her up and sat her down in a chair. He pulled out a pair of scissors from a kitchen drawer. He got to work on cutting off the burnt parts, leaving her with an oddly shaped short hair style that stuck up in odd directions. She didn't seem to care much, appearance wasn't important anymore. He watched her hop off the seat and run back outside. Ares, no longer crying, ran after her. He called after them _

"_Stay out of trouble!" He heard Athena yell back_

"_We will!"_

* * *

Odilia sat curled up by the fire. Pedro had gotten it going and told her earlier that he was going to look around for something to hunt with. Odilia doubted he'd find much; almost all of the houses she'd been in were stripped clean of anything that could be put to use. She heard a rustling from the bed and quickly looked up. Sarah had moved in her sleep. In a world full of death she didn't think she would be so worried about someone dying. Sarah had lived a good long life but Odilia couldn't help but feel saddened. She and Carlotta had been the ones to stitch up her back and take care of her. Now it would be here taking care of Sarah.

She heard the sound of the front door opening and looked up. Pedro came down the stairs, empty handed. "You didn't find nuthin'?"

"No," he said, "But I set a few traps with some old metal wire I found." It was clear that they wouldn't be eating tonight and Odilia tried to ignore her growling stomach which had been triggered by Pedro's return, hoping he would have something to eat. He sat down across the fire and said

"How is she doing?"

"She's been sleeping since you left," she said, "Hasn't moved much." Pedro looked over at the bed with a sad expression.

"She's such a great woman," he said, "I'm just glad she's gonna go out in comfort rather than being cold, hungry and on the road." Odilia nodded and said

"The others are gonna be devastated when we have to tell them." He didn't reply and just stared at her and said

"I'm not sure I got your name?" Odilia was a bit surprised but it made sense, she and Pedro, not knowing each other, had barely talked the entire trip.

"I'm Odilia."

"You're the one who used to live in Louisiana?" She nodded and said

"Gotta find the others before we can keep moving."

They continued to sit by the fire in silence. The hunger was getting unbearable and she just wanted to sleep and not feel it anymore. She got up and grabbed a pillow and blanket. She made herself comfortable by the fire and laid down, shutting her eyes.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky and Ares and the girls had just gotten back on the road. He had insisted on carrying the backpack but Carlotta wouldn't let him, insisting that she carry it instead. She led the way down the road while he and Judith hung back behind her.

"Are you worried about your sister?" Ares looked up at her and said

"Ya, are you worried about your brother?" She nodded and said

"I know he's out there though. Carl's a survivor; he'll probably find us before we find him." Judith's smile was hopeful and warming. Her positivity was contagious.

**Thanks Caitiann and stateofgrace-xo for commenting :) Like I mentioned before chapters that follow Georgette and Candice's story will take longer to complete because of all the groups I need to cover. I also haven't written any Beth/Beau/Annalise chapters in awhile but I promise that next one will definitely have them in it. Review and let me know what you think!**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	22. Chapter 22

Daryl found himself standing in front of the rusting iron gates of the fair grounds. Beyond them he could see a Ferris wheel and several other old rides that had been standing there since the turn. The place looked to be pretty big. He knew there could be walkers inside but he had to get to the Ferris wheel. If he was able to climb up he would be able to see everything for miles. From there he could see if he could see what way the tracks had gone. Not wanting to attract any walker attention he gently took each sides of the gate and tried to softly push it forward. It creaked forwards slightly, not making too much of a sound. He stepped cautiously forward. The place was quiet and all he could hear was the wind moving through the torn tarp that made up the roofs of the old food and game stands. He gripped his crossbow and tried to move as silently as possible. The place was disturbing. Everything was still as it had been the day the dead took over. Big creepy dolls still hung from the ceiling of the game stands, now dirty and rotting, fluff poking out of weathered holes and seams, their big plastic eyes seemed to follow him as he walked by. Most of the stands were still open but he didn't waste his time looking for food or other supplies. He needed to get back on track and find Beth as soon as possible.

He saw the Ferris wheel off to the right. He walked in that direction. He found it strange he had yet to see one walker but he pushed it out of his mind when he saw the entrance to the Ferris wheel. It was surrounded by a metal fence but he swung the gate open and went inside. It was rusted but looked steady. He found the ladder that led up to the maintenance platform at the center of the wheel. After setting his bag down, he climbed up onto the first rung, taking a deep breath. He'd never been afraid of heights but when it involved climbing up a rusty ladder he couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear. He took his time, moving slowly and carefully. He was about halfway up. He could see the neighborhood from here but not the entire thing. He needed to go a bit further. He stepped up on the next rung and heard a low creaking sound. Then he felt it break out from underneath his feet, leaving nothing but air.

* * *

It was night now, light was no longer coming through the windows and it was pitch black. She knew Sasha was also awake on the other side of the room. They sat in the silence, both deep in thought. It was Sasha who talked first.

"Do you think he'll wake up?"

"Bob?"

"Ya, he's been out for awhile."

"He will eventually." Beth didn't believe her own words. What if he had some sort of brain hemorrhage from getting hit so hard? Maybe he was already dead? She didn't voice her concerns to Sasha, not wanting to upset her any more than she already was. The hunger pains she had been feeling earlier still were painfully present, the half-eaten piece of meat still sitting on the plate somewhere in front of her. She craved for a big piece of juicy steak (made of cow and not humans) with mashed potatoes, just like her mom used to make.

"Do you think we could get out ourselves?"

"I don't know," she said, "This place has to be big. You should have seen the amount of guys that flooded the living room."

"We don't know the layout either, maybe if we could get them to let us out at least once we could try and get an idea. We can't just break out of this room and run in blind."

"What would we tell them?" Both girls sat and thought about it.

"You could tell that you had a miscarriage."

"What good would that do?"

"Well they'd want to know if the baby really is gone. If they want to eat us they'll want to know what to expect when they cut us open so they'd examine you." It was a good idea but there was one major problem.

"When they see no fetus or blood they're gonna know we're lying."

"Well what if we say you think you've gone into early labor. That way there doesn't need to be any physical evidence."

"That could work," she said, "Tomorrow morning when that man comes back that's what we'll say."

* * *

Daryl yelled out and grabbed onto the rung above him just in time. He looked down to see the ground far below him. If he were to fall it would mean certain death. With all of his might he pulled himself upwards. He grabbed the next rung and kept pulling until his feet were safely back on. He knew it was potentially dangerous to keep going but he couldn't yet see the remaining part of the neighborhood and it could take him days to figure out the correct path if he didn't get higher ground. He knew Beth would probably yell at him and tell him it wasn't worth it and to get back down. He kept going, trying not to think about the consequences. He could hear Merle's voice again, urging him on, telling him he would be the world's biggest pussy if he backed down now. He needed to find and save his girl.

The distant landscape was beautiful and he knew it'd be something Beth would love to see. Maybe someday when she wasn't pregnant and he found a more stable ladder to climb he'd bring her up to see this. As he climbed higher and higher he could see the roads weaving through the neighborhood. He could just make out the tire tracks as they'd cut through the snow to reveal the dark frozen ground underneath. He stood just below the platform which he had no desire to get up onto. He could see things just fine from where he was now. He focused in on where the tracks first entered the neighborhood. Once it reached that familiar intersection everything was a jumbled mess. Whoever had taken Beth and the others had done a good job in trying to throw him off.

He spent the next five minutes looking around at the main roads leaving the neighborhood. None of them seemed to have tire tracks leading out. He finally spotted one on the far southern side. A lone pair of tire tracks went out onto the road and continued on into the woods beyond his sight. Satisfied and eager to get back on the road, he began to climb back down, keeping the location of the road in his head. He moved carefully over the large gap where the rung had fallen out and then continued down at a fast pace. He was almost at the bottom when he felt the whole ladder shake and creak again. When he saw it detach from the top of the platform and start to lean backwards he knew he needed to get off now. He jumped to the right, trying to avoid landing where the ladder would fall. He landed on his side and felt pain burst in his wrist. Right next to him, the ladder landed with a loud crash, partially hitting and tearing down a small stand right next to the Ferris wheel. He gritted his teeth, trying to fight off the pain as he got back to his feet. He didn't have much time to take a breather. Walkers poured out from in between the stands, seeming to come from nowhere. He quickly grabbed his bag off the ground and swung it over his shoulder. He had no time to pay attention to his new injury. He held his crossbow in front of him and ran.

As he went back down the road towards the gate walkers continued to flood out at him. He shot the ones that got to close to him, not wanting to waste too many arrows. His wrist screamed out at him to drop his crossbow and stop putting weight on it but he couldn't, not until he was in the clear. He turned and saw the gate up ahead. He made it out just in time, pulling it closed after him. He looked back to see the walkers throwing themselves against it. It wouldn't last forever but it'd give him time to get away before they broke through. He finally took a moment to look at his wrist. It was horribly swollen and already badly bruised. He'd fallen on it in a bad angle and he was sure it wasn't broken but just sprained.

He took off down the street, headed back to the neighborhood.

* * *

Beth moved in and out of sleep the entire night. Her body was so tired that no matter how uncomfortable she was she moved into sleep. When she woke up completely there was a horrible pain in her neck that made her cry out in pain when she first sat up. Sunlight came through the dirty windows by the ceiling and she could see Sasha was still asleep as well as Bob. Her eyes were still heavy with exhaustion but at least she'd gotten some sleep in. Without food she'd need to get energy from somewhere.

As she stretched she saw that several bugs had gotten into the rest of her uneaten meal. With disgust, she pushed the plate further away with her foot, not wanting to watch the infestation. Her stomach growled in pain again and she clutched her stomach as she tried to make it go away. It was then that she heard the door open upstairs and a pair of heavy footsteps start to move towards the cellar door. She quickly looked over at Sasha who was still sound asleep. She'd have to go on with her story without her.

When the door opened the man she'd first met walked in. He had that same smirk on is face as before, the bandage still wrapped on his cheek from when she'd stabbed him. She remained in the position she was in, suggesting she was in pain. Although she imagined labor would be ten times more painful than her hunger she tried to imagine it was really happening. The man kicked her plate over, causing the beetles and flies to scatter.

"I see you didn't eat much last night, can't be good for you with the baby."

"Please help, I've gone into early labor." The man stared at her with suspicion and said

"How far along are you?"

"About six months." He was quiet again; all that could be heard were her fake but believable whimpers and heavy breathing.

* * *

Alex wasn't sure what to do with her. She looked to be in pain and if she was in labor then Gareth surely wouldn't want her giving birth on the cellar floor. He'd want the baby to come out clean, fresh and ready to be cooked. Sickly he couldn't help but think _from one oven to another_. Either way he wanted to discuss it with him before any decisions were made.

"Wait here." He dashed back up the stairs and headed outside. It was early morning and Gareth would be up in his main office. When he got there Gareth sensed something was wrong.

"What is it?"

"The girl, she's gone into labor." Gareth got to his feet and said

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said, "She's in a lot of pain. I came to see what you wanted me to do with her."

"Bring her to Mary," said Gareth, "She'll be able to determine what the problem is. If she really does give birth we want to make sure both of them live through it." Alex nodded and said

"I'll make sure of it." He left and headed back to the barn.

* * *

Beth heard the door open again and the man re-appeared.

"Come on, you're going to see our doctor." She saw him pull out a key and began to work on unlocking her chains from the wall. Beth looked over at a still sleeping Sasha, wishing she'd wake up and see that their plan had worked. Once the chains came off the wall the man held all four in his hand pulling her along, the cuffs still on her feet and wrists. She had to keep up with him and walk at an awkward angle so she didn't fall when he tugged on her feet cuffs. They got up the stairs and Beth could see that the cellar was underneath what looked like the interior of an old barn. When the man pushed the large door open the sunlight was blinding, she hadn't been outside in a few days. They were in a field and she could see the perimeter fence just behind the barn. It stretched off on both sides and continued on to the village which she could see up ahead. To the far right she could see a group of children playing together, watched by a nearby adult. It sickened her to think that children were growing up thinking that eating their own kind was ok.

When they got into town people turned and stared at her as she passed by. It looked like a normal community. The place seemed to have once been some sort of industrial park. The buildings were made of brick but were big and set up in a way that wouldn't indicated it had been a town or residential community. He took her inside a tall concrete building. The door they entered led straight into a stairwell, only lit by small panel windows on the side.

"Come on move faster!" He tugged at her chains, nearly taking her off her feet.

"Be careful!" He grabbed her and threw over his shoulder. She screamed out and beat against the man's back.

"Put me down!" He didn't reply as he continued to carry her up the stairs. He reached a door with the number four next to it and opened it up. It led into a hallway lit by candles. There were several doors but one at the end read 'Mary- town doctor.' He knocked on the door and set her down on her feet. A moment later a woman answered the door. She looked nice as she smiled at them but Beth had to remind herself she was part of the terrible cycle here. She made sure to hold at her stomach again and hunch over in fake pain.

"What's the problem?"

"She thinks she's going into early labor," said the man, "Need you to check her out. If she really is going to have the baby Gareth wants to make sure they both live so we don't lose any meat." Mary nodded and moved aside for them to enter. The man tugged Beth inside There were three examination tables in the room she was led into. On the table nearby she spotted several medical tools but otherwise the room was bare and empty. What she did notice were the wide windows that looked out onto the town. She couldn't see everything and she didn't have much time to look at the specifics before she was laid on the table but she did see the perimeter fence again. It was tall and built up with concrete blocks, tires and vehicles. She could see the small figures of men holding rifles standing at the top on the lookout. The place was as strong as she thought, maybe even stronger. If Daryl was alone he'd have a hard time breaking in never mind getting them out. She was brought out of her thoughts by the woman asking her questions.

"What are you feeling?"

"Contractions," she said, "A lot of pain."

"How frequent?"

"On and off," she said, "Not close together." Another upside to this plan was that she'd get formally examined by someone. The woman walked out of the room and came back a moment later holding what looked like a large laptop the size of a suitcase.

"What's that?"

"An ultrasound machine," said Mary, "battery powered so we don't need electricity." All thoughts of the terrible situation they were in were banished from her mind in that moment. She would be able to see her baby at last. The woman set it up on the table and turned it on.

"How far along are you?"

"About six months." Beth lifted up her shirt so the woman could coat her stomach in gel and place the wand piece on her belly. The woman concentrated on the screen as she moved it around. Beth watched with wide eyes as the grainy picture on the screen focused in on the form. Beth felt tears form at her eyes when she saw the baby. It was being viewed from the side and she could see the entire length of its body from head to toe. She felt the flutter inside of her as the baby moved. She saw it raise its little hand as if to say hello. It seemed that Mary had also forgotten that the point of the meeting was to determine if Beth was in labor. She smiled as Beth watched the screen with absolute happiness. Beth wiped the tears off her cheeks and said

"I can't believe I'm actually seeing this." Mary seemed to feed off of Beth's excitement and said

"Do you want to know the gender?" Alex, who had been in the corner waiting burst out and said

"Enough of this crap, is she in labor or not?" Mary jumped back up, her face going blank again as she looked at the screen.

"She's not actually; I think it may just be Braxton-Hicks contractions. They're sporadic uterine contractions that women can sometimes get." Alex let out a sound of disgust and said

"Ya ok, don't need to hear any more about it. All that matters is that she ain't gonna give birth in that cellar if we leave her there." He pulled Beth off the table abruptly, the image of the baby falling off the screen. As he tugged her towards the door she turned back towards Mary. She had a look of concern on her face with a twinge of guilt. Beth mouthed out 'help me,' just before the door fell shut.

* * *

Daryl was back at the intersection again. He remembered the directions in his head to the main road that led away from the neighborhood. He killed the few walkers that lurked in his path and soon found himself looking down the road, its singular pair of tracks leading into the woods. She could be just beyond the trees, trapped in a house or maybe miles away. Either way he would go to the end of the Earth to get her back.

**Thanks K. Lynn Perks and stateofgrace-xo for commenting :) You guys make my day with reviews! **

**I had the opportunity to go to Walker Stalker con this past weekend and it was amazing! Anyone who's thinking about going should definitely spend the money and go! I got to meet Abraham (Micheal Cudlitz), Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino), Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Glenn (Steven Yeun). They were all incredibly nice and I got lots of pictures. The only picture I paid for before the event was the Maggie/Glenn double. I would suggest not buying a ton of photo ops before the event and waiting until you get there because as the day goes on the prices go down. Jon Bernthal was only $40 by the end of the day but at that point me and my brother had both run out of money lol.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	23. Chapter 23

Beau stood across the pool table, facing Vince as he lowered the cue and set up his aim at the cue ball. Beau was currently loosing, only two of his balls were sunk while Vince had already sunk four. Billiards was the only skill Vince had taught him that wasn't malicious or evil. They were quiet as Vince took the shot, knocking one of his balls towards the far end of the table, sinking it into the corner pocket. Beau watched, leaning against the wall. It was a difficult game and if Vince hadn't helped him he would have never been able to learn on his own.

"So who taught you this?"

"One of my mom's boyfriends."

"Before the turn?" Vince nodded, looking around the table for his next open shot according to where the cue ball had stopped.

"I was a teenager; we lived in a little apartment in Atlanta. It was just me and my mom except for when she had a new boyfriend which was a lot." Beau wanted go further, he had a right to know Vince's past after all these years.

"Where was your dad?"

"He didn't really give much of a shit," said Vince, "Saw him only once in awhile, that was until the turn." Beau waited for him to go on but instead he said "It don't really matter, that life is gone." Beau almost wanted to try and compare his situation to Vince's although his mother wasn't a whore nor did he ever have the chance to meet his father. "You're up." Beau looked down at the table to see that Vince had sunken all but one of his balls and now it was his turn.

* * *

Annalise stood by the fence watching the kids run and play. She'd gotten to know them by name now and she really loved her job. One of the little girls named Jenna ran over and grabbed her hand and tried to pull her towards the small field.

"Come on Miss Anna! Come play soccer with us!" She'd told the kids to call her Anna rather than by her full name as some of the younger ones had trouble pronouncing the entire thing.

"Alright," she said, "Am I on your team?" Jenna smiled and nodded at her, setting her up in front of the net as the goalie. She made it easier for them and let the ball through a few times rather than play to her full abilities. As they played down in the other end she thought about Beau. He'd come over this morning for breakfast which had pleased his mother. She hadn't probed into their previous private lives but it seemed to her that they had had some kind of distance in their relationship before she came along. She knew he was out for the day with Vince and Beth had gone fishing with her friend Donna. She had yet to see her own mother since leaving her house.

She continued to watch the kids until she felt her head unexpectedly start swimming. It wasn't that hot of a day and she couldn't possibly be dehydrated. She leaned against the pole of the net and closed her eyes, trying to snap herself out of it. She felt like she was in a tunnel as she heard Jenna's small voice say

"Miss Anna are you ok?" It was the last thing she remembered before falling to the ground.

* * *

Daryl sat up all night keeping watch while Candice slept. She had begged him to let her take a shift but he had insisted she stay asleep. He'd gone for days without sleep before and she needed to get her strength back. He watched her toss and turn for a bit and when she started to look distressed he went over and sat with her. He wished there was at least one more person with them that could go out and look for the others. He wouldn't leave her side again and risk her disappearing. He closed his eyes and leaned back, telling himself he'd only take a quick little rest. He was almost instantly asleep. It didn't take long for his mind to come alive. It was Merle's voice he heard as the scene fabricated around him.

_"You're treatin' her like a baby lil' brother." He was standing in the woods at night. Merle was in front of him. He realized that he had been talking about Candice._

_"You don't know nuthin' about havin' kids." Merle laughed and said_

_"Who knows, I could have kids all over the place." Daryl let out a sound of disgust and said_

_"She ain't gonna be able to get very far on that leg if somethin' goes wrong." He let out another laugh and said_

_"She may look like her mama, but you keep forgettin' that she's a Dixon." His brother's words rested in his head, sinking in. "If old Uncle Merle was there we'd be on the move again, lookin' for the others. Gotta have some faith in her."_

_"I do!" He felt someone shaking him by the shoulders and the conversation with his dream-state brother was cut short._

"Dad? Are you alright?" He opened his eyes to see that he was staring up at Candice. "You were talking pretty loud in your sleep." Nervously he sat up and said

"What was I sayin'?"

"Just a bunch of gibberish." She sat back down and said "But it's good you woke me up, I can take a shift and let you go to sleep." His knee-jerk reaction was to say no but he remembered his brother's words. Maybe if he left her do this she wouldn't give him a hard time about not going out tomorrow.

"Alright," he said, "But if you hear anythin' you wake me up!" She nodded eagerly and said

"Yes sir!"

* * *

Carl moved through the dark woods, Thor leading the way. No matter how tired he was he couldn't let himself sleep. He needed to at least find evidence that someone else from the group had lived. If Thor had gotten out then that means Irving had probably gotten out too and there was no way Irving would leave behind Georgette to burn so maybe she was with him somewhere. His feet hurt and his whole body ached. He silently prayed to his father, hoping he'd find someone soon. He saw a break in the trees up ahead and moved quicker, hoping he'd find a road or a house. Instead he found himself on the ledge of a hill. It wasn't very steep but it gave me a view of the vast field ahead of him, full of walkers. He hadn't seen a herd in a long time. Most walkers had rotted down to nothing but slow bags of bones and dripping flesh, but these ones looked rather fresh. He went to slowly turn and head back the way he came when his foot stepped on a lose rock, sending it rolling down the rocky hill. To his horror, they turned and looked up at him. Instantly they started snarling hungrily and moving towards him. He had almost forgotten how fast fresh walkers were and they were already clawing their way up to him by the time he and Thor had run.

He got several branches in his face as he took off, hearing the herd behind him. He took a right and tried to throw them off but it was no use. Instead he found himself facing a much smaller and far more rotted group of walkers who had been attracted by the noise. Thor jumped up and took the nearest down, ripping through its soft skull and into its brain. Carl stabbed the remaining in his path and they ran again.

* * *

Daryl woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking. He opened his eyes and saw Candice cooking one of the rabbits he'd caught last night over the fire.

"Morning." He couldn't help himself and asked

"Nuthin' happened last night right? No problems?" She rolled her eyes and said

"No dad, it was all good just like I told you it would be." He grunted in reply and stood up, stretching out.

"You better watch your tone."

"Or what, you gonna take away my knife and send me to my room?" He just grunted at her again and went outside onto the porch. It was a warm and sunny day. He remembered Merle's words; he couldn't get them out of his head. _She's a Dixon_. He knew it was the truth, she wasn't all Beth. He leaned his weight against the fence that went around the porch, fighting with himself about what he needed to do. A moment later he heard a crack and felt himself falling forward. He landed hard on the ground and realized the fence had broken. Candice rushed outside to see what had happened.

"Are you ok?!"

"Ya," he said, "I'm fine." He saw her standing above him on her leg, still wrapped in towels. While it was evident that she was favoring her good side she had been able to run out to see him. He heard Merle again and he knew he was right. Candice was an adult now, not the same small helpless infant she had been when he lost her years ago. He got onto his feet and said

"You wanna stay here while I go out and look for the others?" Her eyes instantly lit up.

"You're really gonna let me?!"

"Ya," he said, "You're an adult now 'n you seem to be doin' pretty good on that leg all by yourself." With a smile she came down the stairs and pulled him into another bone-crushing hug.

* * *

The sun was up now and Carl had finally stopped running. He and Thor had left the herd far behind but he was the most exhausted he'd ever been. He lay on the ground, not caring if ticks were getting into his head off of the grass. Thor lay next to him panting and drooling a puddle onto the ground. He fought sleep, knowing if he passed out here a walker could find him.

When heard someone moving towards him he forced himself to sit up with a groan of pain and discomfort. He couldn't see whether the footsteps belonged to a walker or a live person. They seemed to be moving at a quicker and steadier pace but after seeing how fresh that herd of walkers had been he couldn't be one hundred percent sure. He pulled out his knife and crouched behind a tree with the dog, waiting for the person to appear.

* * *

Daryl walked through the woods, carefully looking around for any tracks. So far the ground was untouched by anything but animals. Although the deer prints were tempting to follow he knew that wasn't his main objective at the moment, he and Candice would survive off of squirrels and rabbits until they could find the group again.

He couldn't help but think about how Candice was doing back at the cabin. If something was going wring she would yell for him and he'd hear it. He had to have faith in her like Merle had said. A loud bark sent him jumping a mile into the air. He had his crossbow out, expecting a wild dog to try and maul him. Instead he recognized the animal running towards him. It was Thor. The dog must have also recognized him as he approached him in happy bounds. He saw a figure stand out from behind a tree. It was Carl, staring at him in disbelief.

* * *

Georgette and Athena were moving again. They walked along the highway, looking for some indication of where they were. Most of the road signs were scratched out with messages people had left over the years or weathered down to nothing. They soon found themselves in an area where all of the signs were down, along with several trees that were pulled out of the ground. Georgette remembered the night in Iowa where she and Candice had been nearly swept away.

"A tornado came through here."

"How do you know?"

"Me and my sister almost got killed by one on the way to Georgia." Up ahead the skies looked dark but Georgette didn't hear any thunder and the path of destruction the twister had left behind looked old and not recent. Athena pointed ahead to the sky and said

"We need to turn around, the storm could have moved up ahead."

"I don't think so," said Georgette, "They look just like rain clouds, I can't hear any thunder." To Georgette's surprise Athena got right in her face.

"I don't feel like dying today. You say you wanna find the others but you want us to walk_ towards _the danger!"

"That's not the same storm! This damage looks old. If there was a thunderstorm up ahead we'd hear it."

"This is fucking stupid," said Athena, "All you care about is finding your sister and father, you don't realize that I'm looking for someone too!" Their voices were raised now.

"I do realize that! We can't just back track after coming this far! Your brother could be right up the road and you wouldn't even know it!" Georgette was sick of fighting with this girl but they couldn't split up, that would make their chances of living and finding the others even worse. Athena walked forward, nudging roughly into Georgette's side as she passed her.

"If I hear any thunder we're turning around." She was sick of fighting. She had done nothing to make Athena treat her this way, they were cousins after all.

"What the fuck is your problem?!"

"You're the problem!"

"What did I do to you?!" She didn't answer and kept walking forward. "Hey!" She ran and grabbed Athena by the shoulder. She whipped around to face her.

"Just listen to me! You're not the only one who gets a say in what we do or where we go!"

"You're the one who wanted to turn around and go back!" Athena didn't reply and Georgette was done arguing. Cousins or not she was done trying to reason with her. When they found the others they'd just stay out of each other's way.

* * *

Irving felt a drop of rain on his head. He looked up at the sky to see that it had gotten gray. He heard Michonne laugh and he said

"What are you so happy about?" As the rain started to come down faster she held her arms out and turned her face up to the sky.

"It's so hot out, this'll feel good." As the rain started to fall in a heavier amount he could feel it soaking through his shirt, cooling him off. They kept on going, getting completely drenched. They moved through the trees, occasionally shielded by the branches and leaves above. Michonne continued to smile.

"You remind me of Daryl," she said, "But you look like Merle." Sarcastically he said

"Oh ya, best of both worlds." After last night they had gotten a bit closer. Instead of the uptight bitch Irving had thought she was Michonne was turning out to be a good partner. With a small smile she said

"Surprised he let you and Georgette get close."

"I talked to him," said Irving, "Got him to come around."

"He'd by a hypocrite if he didn't," she said, "He and Beth were at least twenty years apart."

"It may have also had somethin' to do with the fact we're cousins." Michonne waved it off dismissively.

"The world isn't how it used to be."

The day went on and the rain didn't let up. They stopped for lunch and took shelter in an old gas station to cook up the rest of the chicken. They found three human skeletons inside hanging from nooses. It wasn't uncommon to find piles of human bones scattered around now that a lot of the walkers had started rotting away to nothing. Instead of just leaving them there he pulled them down and plucked out all of the bones that would be usable to make weapons out of. Michonne watched him in disgust and said

"What are you gonna do with those?"

"Sharpen 'em up," he said, "That chicken ain't gonna last, we're gonna need new weapons." As Michonne started cooking he sat on a bench and started whittling a leg bone down with the blade of his knife. "If you died wouldn' you want someone usin' your bones to survive?" Michonne shrugged and said

"I guess so." He looked back down at this work and said

"Can't let humans go extinct."

* * *

Odilia and Pedro didn't have to wait long. The next morning Odilia woke up to the sound of deep, horrendous coughing. She was on her feet right away and looked over at the bed. Sarah's eyes were open now and she was indeed the one who had been coughing. Not wanting to face this alone she shoke Pedro awake. Her look of concern told him everything he needed to know and he stood up and walked over to the bed with her. Odilia spoke softly to Sarah.

"How are you?"

"Oh it's not so bad," she said defiantly, "You don't need to worry about me sweetheart. You two need to go on and find the rest of the group." Pedro took her hand and said

"We all love you Sarah; you have saved all of our lives more than once." Sarah smiled and said

"It's what I'm here for." Tears welled up in Odilia's eyes and she said

"We're going to find the others Sarah, no matter how long it takes." She watched as the old woman breathed in a breath of contentment. She had lived a good long life and now it was time for her to go. It was the first natural death Odilia had ever seen happen. When her hand went limp in Pedro's and she took her last soft breath it was almost as if she were sleeping. It had happened so peacefully that Odilia was shocked. All of the deaths she had seen had been abrupt, terrible and far too early.

"Is she gone?" Pedro nodded sadly and slowly took out his knife. With one quick thrust he plunged the blade into her temple, preventing her from coming back. Odilia set her hands out so they were clasped on her stomach like they would be at a wake.

"I'll go dig a grave," he said, "You should go check the traps." They left Sarah in the bed and went outside. Pedro searched through an old rundown shed and found a rusted shovel to use. He gave her the directions to the three traps he'd set and she moved into the woods. Surprisingly she wasn't as devastated as she usually was with a death. Sarah had gone so easily and slipped away without a struggle. She hoped someday she'd get the chance to go out like that instead of be torn apart by teeth.

She found all of the traps were full, all three with rabbits. When she got back to the house Pedro had just finished up on digging a deep enough hole so that the animals wouldn't get to the body. She showed him the rabbits and he nodded an approval.

"We can cook those up after we bury her." Together they moved Sarah's already cold and stiff body. They set her down in the hole, making sure she was lying at a comfortable angle. Pedro quickly filled it back in with dirt and they stood at the end of it, silently praying. She looked up at Pedro and said

"We'll see her again someday." They walked back towards the house and Pedro said

"Heaven must be pretty crowded."

They cooked up the rabbit and ate. As she was waiting for Pedro to finish up his meal she found a large rock at the edge of the forest. Using her knife she tried to carve words into it. Not wanting to damage her blade all she managed to write was 'Sarah'. She picked up and quickly carried it over to the head of the space of dirt where she'd been buried. She heard Pedro walk up behind her and say

"That was nice of you."

"Anybody else who passes through will know she's buried here." They stood in silence again. A few minutes later Pedro put his hand on her shoulder and said

"Come on, we better get moving." She followed him towards the woods, away from the direction they had come a few days ago.

* * *

Ares didn't want to admit that he was becoming increasingly sore His skin was peeling like crazy and his burst blister wounds were rubbing against his clothes as he walked but he didn't want to slow down. Judith walked next to him as Carlotta led the way.

"So you and your sister used to live alone?" It no longer pained him to think about his father's death and he said

"Ya, since we were little. Don't know how we made it by ourselves."

"I sometimes think about my mom and dad," she said, "But I don't remember them. Sometimes Carl talks to me about them. I know their watching over me so I don't feel quite so alone." She smiled and then said "Your parents are probably up there with mine too you know." Ares smiled and said

"They probably are."

"Your parents knew mine," said Judith, "That's what Carl says. Your dad and my parents went to your mom's farm when Carl got shot and your grandpa fixed him up. That's how they met." Ares wanted to hear more but he was interrupted when he heard Carlotta let out a sound of frustration. They both looked up to see a large sign that read 'Welcome to Alabama.'

"We're moving the wrong way!"

"Well at least we know the others didn't come this way," said Ares, "If they did we'd probably have met up them on the way here."

"We don't have a map," she said, "How are we supposed to know where to go?!" Ares didn't know how to answer her question. She was right. They had no directional tools. Even if they tried to navigate according to the name of towns and road signs they could end up in the wrong direction.

"We could follow the border," said Judith, "The border of Alabama and Mississippi." They both looked at her for more. "Once we reach the ocean we can go west and we'll eventually run into Louisiana."

"That's a good plan," said Carlotta, "Maybe the others thought of that too." They began their trek down south. Ares hoped that his sister had thought of the same thing and was only a little bit ahead of them.

* * *

Georgette sat in the dark house that she and Athena had taken shelter in that night. They hadn't spoken since their outburst earlier. Five minutes ago Athena had left, not telling her where she was going. A part of Georgette wanted to go after her and make sure that she wasn't just abandoning her here but she stayed put, looking into the fire.

It was only when her stomach started to growl and she realized that they needed to start cooking dinner. Athena had taken the bag full of meat with her. Feeling angry, Georgette got up and went outside. If she had left her without any food she was going to be pissed. She went down the porch and looked around for any sign of her. Suddenly she heard a soft whimpering sound from somewhere behind her. Unsure on what it could be, she took out of her knife and slowly moved along the side of the house. The sounds got louder and she recognized them as someone crying. She lowered her knife when she saw Athena curled up behind the house, sitting by her own fire. Before Georgette could back away Athena saw her shadow and spotted her.

"What do you want?!" Georgette almost let herself yell back at her but instead she said

"Nothing, I just came to look for you. I wanted to start cooking dinner."

"Well here," She threw the black backpack at Georgette's feet. "Take it and go." Georgette picked it up. She couldn't leave her out here like this.

"Can you just tell me what's wrong?"

"After how I spoke to you why would you care?"

"Because we need to make this work. It's just you and I out here, we can't be fighting all the time." Georgette slowly took a seat next to her and said "If you tell me what is wrong we can try and work it out." Athena stared into the fire, contemplating what to say next. Georgette didn't pressure her and let her take her time in answering.

"It's just tough," she said, "For the longest time it was just my brother and I. I was always the leader and he was happy to follow along. Since I met you and your group it hasn't been like that. It's just hard to adjust." Georgette understood what she was saying. "It was always me making the decisions for our well-being and how we lived day to day but now it's not like that anymore with a larger group."

"You don't have to fight it," said Georgette, "We all like you, everyone wants to be your friend, you just gotta let them in."

"I know," she said, wiping her eyes. "And I see you, your dad and the rest of your family and I can't help but get jealous. I'll never get either of my parents back. They'll always be gone. I can't go out and search for them, because they aren't out there waiting for me." Georgette put an arm around Athena's shoulders as she broke down and poured her heart out.

"You're our family too you know," she said, "Just because your parents aren't here doesn't mean we don't care about you or see you as an outcast. We're cousins, and my dad's your uncle." She saw Athena crack the first smile she had seen since they had been on the run together.

"I don't want to intrude on what you guys have going and-"

"You aren't," said Georgette, "You're a part of it too." Athena wiped her face again and Georgette said "I want us to be friends, I don't wanna fight anymore."

"Ok," said Athena, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," said Georgette, scooting closer to her. Athena smiled again and said

"So we're friends?" Georgette smiled and pulled her into a hug which she returned.

"We're friends and family."

* * *

Annalise woke up in a bed. She immediately recognized the room as a part of the infirmary. The last thing she remembered was playing soccer with the kids and hearing Jenna asking her if she was alright.

"You're awake!" She saw a nurse on the other side of the room start to walk towards her. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," she said, "Just a little sleepy still."

"That's normal," said the nurse, looking down at her file. "You're Annalise right?"

"Yes," she said, rubbing her head, "Does anyone know I'm here?"

"I'm afraid not," said the nurse, "Everyone we were told to contact is away at the time." Annalise remembered Beth's fishing trip and Beau's day out with Vince.

"So what's wrong with me?"

"You fainted," said the nurse, "Good thing you didn't hit your head too hard." The nurse set her clipboard down and said "There is something you need to know if you don't already, you're pregnant."

"What?" The world seemed to spin for a moment.

"You're pregnant," said the nurse, "It's not uncommon for pregnant women to pass out or have a dizzy spell. Your cardiovascular system is undergoing dramatic changes and-" Annalise didn't hear the rest of what the nurse was saying. Her world had gone upside down in that moment. It wasn't uncommon for younger girls to have babies now. It wasn't like they needed money to support them, Vince assigned homes to every individual family in town for free and everyone was able to get free freshly caught food from the café. Her worry was what if Beau didn't want the baby. What would Beth think? Would she be happy?

"I have to go!" Not listening to the nurse's protests she swung her legs over the side of the bed and took off, running towards the door.

**Thanks K. Lynn Perks, stateofgrace-xo, DarylDixon'sLover, and isabellalane for reviewing :)**

**To Demon (the guest) who commented about how I was putting Daryl and Beth through an unnecessary, unrealistic plot line and about how it ruined the story is meant to be dramatic and adventurous. The whole theme of it as reader PlaneJane71 kindly pointed out, is 'Quest'. As I've said before things in the ZA are complicated. Not only are their reanimated corpses walking around but there's also going to be evil, greedy people who will stop at nothing to get what they want, EX: Destroying a village to take it's resources. Nothing is keeping you here, you don't have to keep reading if you don't like it. I have enough wonderful reviewers that give me great feedback already :)**

**Thanks for reading everyone,**

**Wanderlustt**


	24. Chapter 24

Beth sat against the wall, her attention on Sasha as she talked.

"If we could get our hands on something to cut through the chains we could sneak outta here."

"What cuts through chains?"

"A hacksaw," said Sasha, "or a bolt cutter maybe?" Beth nodded, thinking back to the ultrasound. There had been no tools in the room that she could have swiped that would've worked through the chains. Despite their unfortunate situation she smiled as she remembered the picture on the screen.

"I saw the baby this morning when they brought me up there. The doctor didn't seem so mean; she looked like she kinda felt bad for me."

"I wouldn't trust anyone," said Sasha, "She may feel bad but we're her next meal." The door swinging open caught their attention. Alex walked in, carrying two new plates of meat.

"Hello girls, how are you feeling?"

"Hungry," said Sasha, "But we're not eating that."

"You'll just have to get used to it," said Alex, "You have no choice." He threw their plates down in front of them and then went to get them water at the sink. Again, the scent of cooked meat made Beth's stomach growl in painful hunger. She had never been this hungry and it made her feel nauseous.

"You know, I think you both should be thankful for the way we're treating you." He set the cups down on the counter and said "You owe me."

* * *

Alex watched them. They both looked miserable and extremely vulnerable, tied up and completely incapable of defending themselves. He couldn't deny that it turned him on. He hadn't gotten laid in forever and he didn't think Gareth would mind if he played around with them a bit. He looked them both up and down and turned to Sasha. He had no desire for the blonde, maybe if she wasn't pregnant and he hadn't seen her get an exam this morning.

* * *

Beth watched as Alex advanced towards Sasha who was pressed against the wall. Beth felt helpless as he charged forward and grabbed her. She strained against her chains, wishing she could do something. He watched as Sasha struggled against him, kicking and punching at him as he tried to hold her down on the floor. All she could do was yell in anger and frustration.

"Stop! Please stop!" The tears started to flow from her eyes as she watched Alex grab onto Sasha's throat and hold her down that way. She clawed at his arm with her nails but he seemed to pay no mind, working on getting his belt off. Beth looked around for anything that she could use to stop the attack. He was no down to his underwear as he worked on getting Sasha's pants off. Beth saw the plate sitting in front of her and grabbed onto it, throwing the meat off of it. She carefully aimed it at his head and threw it with all of her strength. It hit him right where she wanted and shattered. He yelled out in pain, grabbing onto his now bleeding head. He released Sasha and turned to Beth and yelled

"You little bitch!" That gave Sasha the chance to lung up at him and punch him in the nose, breaking it and sending more blood spilling down his face. He backed away as Sasha kicked at him, screaming in anger. With nothing else to throw Beth picked up the slab of meat and threw it. It turned comical as it landed on his face and slid down to his chest, leaving a greasy, bloody trail in its place. Sasha crouched in a defensive stance, holding her plate, ready to throw it for when he came back at her. Instead he stood up, holding onto his gushing nose in shock.

"You'll regret this," he said, moving towards the door, "I'll make sure you are kept in line next time!" He backed up the stairs, grabbed onto the door handle and ran out.

* * *

The road was long and went on without a turn for miles. The tracks were clear and Daryl didn't slow down. Every step he took he grew closer to her. His wrist was still throbbing in pain but he tried to ignore it. He knew sooner or later he'd have to stop and hunt for something to eat. He set his bag down and looked around for any squirrels moving around in the branches above. He heard a rumbling sound from somewhere ahead and recognized it as the sound of a car. He quickly hid in the trees, pulling his bag with him. He held his crossbow, ready for anything. A truck appeared further up the road. He kept his eyes on it. It was an old red Chevy that he hadn't seen before. When it passed by he saw three older men sitting inside and the back looked empty. They had to be the ones who had taken Beth. He couldn't help but imagine she, Sasha and Bob tied up and thrown into the back and taken back to wherever their base camp was.

With this new clue he forgot all about the squirrels. When the truck disappeared over the hill he took off again, following the new tracks over the old ones. They looked the same which also reinforced his theory.

* * *

Once Alex left the room Beth expected Sasha to break down but instead she kept a stone cold expression of anger and said

"If he comes back to finish I'll rip his dick off." Beth couldn't help but laugh. She'd never heard Sasha talk like that.

"I think we're ok for awhile."

"But he's gonna come back," said Sasha, "And he'll be even angrier." Beth was now not only hungry but thirsty. Alex had left the water beyond their reach over on the counter and she looked at them, longing for a drink. A small flutter in her stomach reminded her that she couldn't hold out without food forever, it wasn't just her that was hungry.

The day continued on into night and Beth lay on the floor again, facing the wall as she tried to sleep. When they heard the door open both of them shot up, ready for Alex to come down and try to attack them again. Beth couldn't see anything but the footsteps sounded lighter than Alex's or Gareth's. A beam of light lit up the room and she recognized Mary, the doctor. She was holding a flashlight in one hand and two plates in the other. Surprised Beth said

"What are you-?" Mary cut her off and said

"Shhhh, someone could hear us." She set the flashlight down on the counter and Beth whispered

"What are you doing here?" Sasha was defensive again, but Beth looked over at her and said "It's ok."

"I brought you some food that you can eat," said Mary, "You're pregnant you need to eat." She placed the cup of water and a plate of fruits and vegetables and a roll of stale but still edible crackers. She went and gave the next plate to Sasha. "If I had known there was a third I would have brought another plate."

"Why are you helping us?"

"Because you're pregnant."

"Is that it?" Mary didn't answer and said

"Just hang in there." Her voice sounded like she was hiding something. With a small smile Mary said "It will work out, don't worry."

"Thank you so much." Beth didn't have time to think about what else Mary had meant. She stuffed her face almost immediately. The plate was full of apples, carrots and to her excitement, peaches. Mary leaned against the counter and watched her happily.

"You must be starving."

"I am," she said, her mouth still full.

"How long have you guys been here?"

"Three days I think," said Sasha, "We haven't eaten since." Mary nodded and said

"I can keep bringing you food, but you can't let Alex or Gareth know. I shouldn't be doing this."

"We're so grateful," said Sasha, "Thank you so much."

"I'll come back tomorrow night if I can." Once she left they were both speechless.

"She was the doctor who checked me out earlier."

"She's the key," said Sasha, "She can help us out of here. She wants to." Beth took a bite of a peach, savoring the sweet flavor.

"We can't one hundred percent expect it though," said Beth, "Like she said she might not be able to sneak away too often."

* * *

Daryl was still running, when he heard the truck again coming back. He jumped off to the side again, hiding behind a snow bank. The same red truck passed by with the same three men. As it drove off he saw that the back was piled with something covered in a tarp. _Bodies_. They had to be. What else could it be? He took off again, determined that the truck was headed to where Beth was.

* * *

The next morning Beth woke up feeling full and healthy again. All that was left of their meals were the apples and peach cores which Beth quickly disposed of in the buckets that they used as toilets. All was well until the door opened again. Beth had been sure nothing would get them down. They had full bellies and a new sense of hope. The only thing that could make it better was if Bob woke up. To Beth's horror a walker entered the room. She jumped back in fear until she saw that it was secured by its neck with a long rod. Holding onto the rod was Gareth, a smirk on his face as he entered the room.

The walker saw them and instantly began to claw out at them in hunger.

"I heard you two were misbehaving." Sasha yelled out

"You're friend tried to rape me!" Gareth ignored her and said

"To keep you in line I'll have this guy chained down here with you as a reminder." He held onto the rod with one hand and cuffed the walker's wrists and ankles. He removed the clamp from around the walker's neck and backed away. The walker lunged out at them, straining against its chains. "You misbehave again and I might just have to let him off." Beth laughed and said

"You wouldn't do that, we're your food."

"One bite wouldn't hurt, we'd just cut around it before the infection spreads." Beth knew he was lying, he wouldn't risk losing food. It was just a scare tactic.

* * *

Daryl was surprised to see that the tracks branched away from the original he had been following. He wasn't sure what it meant. Was it another trick or did it have nothing to do with Beth? He decided to follow the fresh tracks. The base camp couldn't be far off and if he walked away he might be passing up the chance to find Beth. As he expected, the tracks led to the exact same red truck parked in the driveway of a large plantation styled house. The tarp was still covering the back of the truck and the men were no longer inside it. He crept out of the woods and instantly went to the back. He threw the tarp off, expecting to see dead humans. Instead the back was full of dead deer. Not only was Daryl shocked at how many deer the group had caught but he was also sure that these men had nothing to do with Beth's kidnapping. He was about to turn and leave when he heard a gun being cocked from behind him.

"You here to rob us?" The voice belonged to a man and when Daryl turned he recognized him as the driver of the truck. The other two stood behind him, guns also raised.

"No," said Daryl, "Just lookin' for someone."

"Who?"

"A girl," he said, "She's blonde and pregnant. Have you seen her?"

"Nope," said the man "Can't say I have." Daryl felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. He had pursued this false lead and now he was in trouble for it. Visibly disappointed he said

"Alright, I'll be on my way then." He began to back away towards the woods, headed back to the road.

"Wait." The man's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Did she disappear on her own?"

"No," said Daryl, "She was kidnapped by someone." The men looked at each other and the lead one said

"We might have some valuable information for you."

"What kind of information?" They lowered their weapons and said

"Can't speak about it out here, you never know who's listening. Come on inside." Daryl was hesitant, gripping onto his crossbow, ready for anything. They seemed trustworthy and he had no reason to suspect them. Then again he had no reason not to either. He followed the men into the house which to his surprise seemed well kept and clean. It was clearly a long term settlement as there was a large rack of guns hung up by the door and bars over the inside of the windows. They walked into a kitchen and two of the men sat down while the third lit a candle. Daryl continued to stand by the doorway. One of them patted a chair next to him and said

"You can take a seat."

"I'd rather stay here." The third man came and sat down and said

"I'm John and this is Dale and Bruce." Daryl just nodded, not giving them his name. "So how did this girl get kidnapped and you manage to escape?"

"My wife," he said, "And two of my friends." The word 'wife' seemed strange to say but it was true. If there was a priest around he wouldn't wait another second to formally marry her. "They broke in while I was out on a hunt. Don't know what they wanted." One of the men turned to the other and said

"Had to be Gareth and his people. I know they've been on a shortage lately, they'll want as many as possible." Daryl listened to them converse and he wanted answers.

"As many people for what?!"

"The people who took your wife and the others eat their own kind. They want them as food." He was completely horrified and enraged. He slammed his hands down on the table and said

"You take me to them now!"

"We can't do that." He wanted to flip the table and tell them that if they didn't take him he'd force them too. "That would put ourselves in danger."

"How come they don't try 'n eat you huh?"

"We have a deal made with them," he said, "We supply them with deer meat when they run out of humans. They prefer human meat but will eat venison when there's a shortage, which there was until they got your three friends." Daryl tried to keep his cool and said

"That's fucked up."

"We do what we have too, doesn't mean we have to like it."

"Why don't you just leave?" The center man spoke up and said

"This was my home before the turn. We settled here with our wives and kids. We're the last ones left." Daryl couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for them.

"If you give me directions to where this place is I ain't gonna tell them anythin' about it. They won't suspect a thing."

"You won't make it in there alone; they'll see you coming before you see them." Daryl would deal with that later.

"I don't care," he said, "I'm gonna save my wife or die tryin'."

**Thanks DarylDixon'sLover, K. Lynn Perks, Caitiann, stateofgrace-xo and crimsonrose0003 for commenting :) This wasn't my strongest chapter and it was more of a filler but the next one will have some better action. **

**Again about the length of this story, I've gotten some more comments. I'm sorry if some of you are having a hard time sticking with the story because its so long but I'm not going to speed it up. If I had to estimate it's going to be as long as Into the Unknown or a bit shorter, definitely not longer. To speed it up would feel like a rush. I've worked extremely hard on it and I've had the plot planned in my head for months now on how things are going to go. I want to get all of that in and make sure that I'm not cutting corners. It may seem like a ton is going on but it will all come together and be tied off in a neat bow by the time the story is done :) I do appreciate the feedback I've been getting, positive and negative :) It hasn't been rude (minus the one I mentioned in the last update), so keep them coming! :)**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	25. Chapter 25

Carl felt numb as he saw Daryl standing there. It was like a mirage in the middle of a desert. He wasn't sure whether to trust it or not. He walked forward as he saw Thor jump up at him, wanting to believe it. Daryl must have noticed the splattered blood from the walkers streaking his face and said

"Are you ok?" If it had been anyone but Daryl he might have ran forward and hugged them. But he couldn't. He wanted Daryl to know that he was tough and able to survive on his own without breaking down.

"Ya! Do you know where the others are?!" He walked up to him and felt the full joy of knowing that he wasn't alone anymore.

"Candice is back at the house," he said, "She got burnt bad on her leg, we haven't moved since the night we got away from the fire." Carl's heart sank at the thought of Candice being injured but he was incredibly happy that she too was alive. This was his chance to prove himself to Daryl, to show him that he could take care of his daughter. "Have you seen anyone else?"

"No," said Carl, "Spent the whole night running from a herd."

"Well come on back," said Daryl, "We got food back at the house." They walked side by side, Thor happily panting behind them.

"Did you and Candice get out together?" Daryl nodded and said

"She saw Georgette 'n Athena trying to escape so they've gotta be out there too. Once Candice gets better we can start lookin'." They walked up an overgrown path and a small house came in sight. She was waiting on the porch, having heard them approaching.

* * *

When Candice saw Carl walk out of the woods with her father. She was unable to contain herself and she ran down the steps and jumped at him. He hugged her back tightly and she buried her face into his shirt. She didn't realize how strongly she felt for him until now. It had started out as a little crush but now it was different. She heard her father clear his throat and she quickly backed away and with a red face, pulled him into a hug too. She scratched Thor's head as the dog rubbed his head against her good leg. Excitedly she said

"You found us!" Carl had a huge grin on his face and he said

"I've been moving since I left the fire," he said, "Been hoping I'd run into someone." With a small smile he said "I'm glad it was you." She felt her father lightly take her shoulder and say

"We should all head inside, get somethin' to eat."

"I'm starving," said Carl, hurrying up the steps. Candice had already started cooking some rabbit meat over the fire and the three sat down to talk.

"Irving has to have made it out," said Carl, "He wouldn't leave his dog in the trailer and Thor wouldn't leave him." Candice voiced the question that had been in her head since the beginning.

"Did someone intentionally start the fire?" Carl shoke his head.

"I ran into a small group in a town after I'd gotten out. They knew about the fire and asked if it was spreading their way."

"Good," said Daryl, "That means we ain't bein' hunted by someone."

"I think my leg's healed enough," said Candice, "We should get on the road tomorrow." Candice could sense Carl looking at her wrapped leg. Her father moved over to her and said

"Lemme get a look at it." She was reluctant to take the cloth off, slightly embarrassed to reveal her burnt and deformed flesh to Carl. She slowly unwrapped it, revealing the damage. The open blisters were now big ugly scabs; the skin still had a charred look but seemed to be healing also. She cringed at its appearance but said

"See, it's much better!" Her father looked skeptical but Carl said

"It doesn't look so bad," She smiled up at him, his comment making her feel ten times better about it. Carl saw her father's disapproving face and said "We could leave tomorrow morning, give her another night to heal." Daryl nodded and said

"If you think you can travel." Candice smiled and said

"I know I can."

* * *

Irving and Michonne were on the move again. Michonne took the front while Irving stayed behind, watching out for walkers. When he saw two of them moving through the trees towards them he turned and went to get rid of them. As he finished stabbing the last in the head he heard Michonne call his name from back up the trail. He quickly pulled his knife out of the walker's head and ran back to where she was. She was standing on the edge of a steep rocky cliff. Through the trees and in the distance he could see a city. It looked small but it was definitely an urban area. Michonne was smiling and said

"Now we can figure out where we are." He looked down the Cliffside and said

"Gotta find a safe way down." He saw Michonne looking over the edge and her face instantly went cold. He stopped and said "What's wrong?" She seemed to try and shake it off and said

"Nothing, just don't like heights much." Irving didn't question her any further, not wanting to force her into talking about something that bothered her.

"Well I'm sure there's a different way down." The two walked alongside the edge, waiting for the steepness to flatten out and make it walkable but it seemed to only get worse. It seemed as if it would never end and eventually Irving stopped and said

"If we keep lookin' we'll lose sunlight."

"We should camp here then," she said, "Wait until tomorrow to find a good spot." Irving shoke his head,

"If a herd notices us we'll be boxed in. If we move now we could make it to the bottom safely. All we gotta do is move carefully." He wished they had some rope, then they'd be able to tie it to a tree and their waists to move down the steep drop. He sat down on the edge and slowly began to slide himself down until he reached a tree to brace himself against. He looked back up at her and said

"Once I get down to that next tree you slide down onto the tree I'm on now." She looked apprehensive but nodded. Irving took his time moving, not leaning to far forward to prevent himself from falling. When he reached the next tree he watched Michonne. She looked nervous and clearly fearful. When she reached the first tree she clung to it.

When Irving reached the fifth tree and Michonne sat behind him on the fourth there were no more trees to grab onto. It was a straight shot down to the bottom of the hill.

"We can slide down." He moved off of the tree and leaned back as he slid down the steep hillside. It was fast but he made it down. He saw Michonne slowly remove herself from the tree and try to slide down the exact way that he had. Instead, her foot got caught in a thick root. As she tried to pull it out she lost balance and was sent sprawling down fast. When she landed at the bottom on her stomach Irving went to her immediately.

"You ok?!" He went to try and help her to her feet but she pulled away from him and stood back up herself. He could see that she was hyperventilating and he decided to give her some space. "It's ok," he said, "Nuthin' bad happened. How 'boout we set up camp here? Call it a night?" She nodded and stalked off into the trees by herself. Whatever it was that was bothering her she needed her alone time. Just earlier she had been happy and hopeful, now it was different.

* * *

_Ares was dreaming. He was a kid again, standing in the forest. Clutched in his hand was a pistol. _

"_You can do it, just like dad showed you." His sister stood behind him. Ahead there was a deer standing in the clearing. It hadn't noticed them as they were behind a group of close trees. _

"_I don't know," he said, his tone uncertain. "He's not here to help me or watch."_

"_I'm here," she said, "Dad would be happy to see you do it by yourself." He slowly raised his gun, aiming it at the grazing buck. When he was certain he had the shot he pulled the trigger. He missed, hitting the tree behind the deer instead. It dashed away quickly, leaving Ares with a feeling of failure and shame. _

"_If he had been here I would have been able to do it." He felt Athena's hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her. He could see the distress in her eyes that she held back. He knew she had to be strong for not only herself but him also. _

"_You can't think like that," she said, "It will only make things worse." _

"_But I lost our dinner!"_

"_Don't worry; we still have some squirrel meat left back at home." Despite his sister's uplifting tone he still felt shitty about it. "Come on," she said, "The sun's setting we have to get back." They walked back up the trail headed for home. As the house came into view through the trees, Ares heard the familiar snarling sound that haunted him. He turned to see a walker following them up the path. It was fast moving and he quickly fumbled with his gun, trying to pull it out of its holster. Before he got the chance he heard a gunshot ring out. The walker fell to the ground, his sister standing with her gun up, smoke rising from the barrel. She grabbed his hand and said "We gotta hurry, others could have heard that!" A major downfall of not having an adult around was they were not able to reach walkers heads with a knife unless it was a child. They had no choice but to shot them which could potentially draw in a herd. _

_When they got back to the house Athena quickly locked everything up. They had tried not to live on the ground floor since their father's death. All the windows were boarded up and no light ever got through. They quickly made their way upstairs which consisted of two bedrooms, a small library and a sun porch they used as a lookout. They used the library as a kitchen, using paper from the books to start fires and cook over. The third floor had three bedrooms. Athena's room, Ares' and their parents which they rarely went into anymore. Once they got upstairs Athena got right to cooking dinner. Are's took watch on the sun porch. It gave them a good view as it faced the front of the house. He sat in a wicker chair, his failure from earlier still clouding his mind. He'd shot a deer before with his dad when they went hunting but for some reason he didn't feel that same level of confidence when he didn't have him by his side. He was disappointed in himself and how he was unable to show Athena that he could survive on his own. _

_The sun was nearly set when he saw movement in the trees. He quickly blew out his candle and waited to see what it was. All at once, walkers started to pour out of the forest and into the front lawn. He quickly ran out of the room, headed to the library, blowing out candles that lit the hallway as he went. His sister had heard him coming and already had blown out her candle and the fire she'd been cooking over. _

"_Is it a herd?" Ares nodded fearfully, as he sat down with her and they sat against a bookshelf, keeping absolutely silent. He could hear them outside through an open window, snarling hungrily like animals._

Ares woke up on the cot he had chosen to sleep on earlier that night. It was dark but he could just make out Judith and Carlotta's sleeping forms next to him in their own cots. They were inside an old brick building that had clearly been used as a shelter when the turn happened. It was full of cots, old medication and other medical supplies. He lay back down on his pillow, kicking his covers off of him and trying to cool off.

* * *

Odilia and Pedro walked along the road, Sarah's death still heavy on their minds.

"Wish I had my four wheeler," she said, "We could move much faster." Pedro nodded and said

"How did you get a hold of one of those in the first place? Haven't seen a moving, working vehicle in years."

"I stole one from the village I escaped from," she said, "Our leader kept a bunch of them up 'n runnin'."

"Must have a lot of resources."

"He does."

"Has the village been there since the beginning?"

"I don't think so," said Odilia, "I know Vince organized it himself. He started out with a group of people 'n the more people passed through the more members he gained. He was able to fight off any attacks that came our way, takin' more 'n more people."

"He'll be tough to beat." Odilia looked up at him and said

"We have to get the group back together first, can't go in there by ourselves." With a dark look she said "He'll take us prisoner and torture us, I've seen him do it." A sign they were approaching caught their attention. It read 'Welcome to Bay Springs, Mississippi.' A large road sign further up ahead read 'Hattiesburg, 54 miles, south.' Odilia did not know Bay Springs but she recognized the name of Hattiesburg. She smiled and said

"This means we're movin' the right way!" Bay Springs was small and from what she could see, abandoned. It was a quaint little town that looked like it had been the usual small southern town. Off to the right was a large bayou. The strong reminder of home hit Odilia and she instantly thought of her mom and how much she missed her.

"You alright?" Pedro was looking at her.

"Ya," she said, "Just a bit of homesickness is all." They walked down the street, looking out for any supplies they could use or evidence that the group had passed through.

"I miss home sometimes."

"And where's that?"

"Calaceite, Spain." Odilia was instantly intrigued; she'd never met anyone out of the states before. She assumed she never would, considering the world was so broken.

"You lived there?"

"Until I was a teenager," he said, "My dad moved me and my sisters here when he was transferred by the company he worked at."

"What was it like there?"

"It was beautiful," he said, "It was in the northeast. I could see the mountains from my house."

"Where'd you move when you came here?"

"Georgia," he said, "My dad had to work out of Atlanta. We knew English so it wasn't a huge transition." Odilia smiled and said

"Maybe you can teach me some Spanish 'n I can teach you some French."

"French?"

"Ya everyone in southern Louisiana knows at least a little bit of French." He smiled and said

"Sure, I'd be happy too."

* * *

Michonne returned to camp later that night. Irving had already eaten but kept a piece of meat out for her so when she returned she could have it. She silently took the paper plate and sat down across from him, digging into her meal. He watched her with curiosity. She had run off so quick he hadn't even gotten a chance to double check that she wasn't injured.

"You ok?"

"Ya." She had the same serious, intimidating expression she had on the first day they were together. He didn't want them to go back to being distant.

"Wanna talk 'bout what happened?" She looked up at him darkly and said

"It was nothing." He was determined to get through to her.

"It was somethin'," he said, "You weren't just afraid, there was more, I could see it." She was silent again and finally said

"That was how Rick died."

"Rick?" She didn't seem to hear his question and said

"Carl fell down a steep hill and we went down to help him and Rick was swarmed. Carl and I got out ok but…."

"You're brother or husband?"

"No, he was the man I loved. He was Carl's father." Irving bowed his head as he remembered the pain of loving someone he loved. "He died from a bite and then it was just Carl and I."

"I'm sorry," he said, "I know how it feels." She looked at him and waited for him to talk. "I lost my girlfriend a long time ago. Her name was Shay. We lived in a village 'n it got overrun. I couldn't save her." Her eyes were full of emotion. "It's the worst feelin' in the world. I felt like I couldn't go on."

"I had too," said Michonne, "I had Carl to take care of. He kept me going." Irving nodded and said

"I left the village 'n found my own place to stay alone. I lived there for years until Georgette found me." When he spoke of Georgette he couldn't help but smile. "She helped me."

"Rick would want you to move on 'n be happy, no matter what that means to you." She nodded and said

"I just need to find Carl and Judith. I can't let anything happen to them."

* * *

Georgette and Athena were in the forest again. As they had expected, they had caught up to the clouds and it was raining. The trees provided enough cover to keep them dry and the soft patter of the drops on the leaves above made Georgette feel drowsy.

"Look at that." She turned around and saw Athena looking at the back of a large brick building. Georgette stood next to her and said

"You wanna check it out?"

"Ya," said Athena, "They could be in there, taking shelter or something." The two girls went up to it and Georgette spied a window further down the wall. "What do you think this place was?"

"I don't know," said Georgette, "Hard to tell from here." She walked over to the boarded up window and grabbed onto the lowest board, pulling on it. It fell off easily, the wood having of rotted away. She ignored the bugs that crawled out from where the wood had been and grabbed the next one up. Once they were all off she tried to swat aside the spider webs.

"That is nasty," said Athena with disgust. She picked up a large stick and said "Here use this instead." Georgette took it and cleared the window. It was cracked a little bit and Georgette pushed it up. With the help of Athena, she hoisted herself inside. It was clear that the place was a school. There were desks in rows and a chalkboard at the front. She leaned back out the window and said

"It's a school." She held out her hands for Athena and she grabbed on, pulling up onto the window. Once Athena was in they took a look around.

"Imagine being in here all day long every day except for two days a week." Georgette laughed and said

"Oh come on I always thought school would be fun. We used to pretend we were in school when Angela taught us stuff." Athena smiled and said

"What kinda stuff?"

"Like basic math, reading and writing." The sound of something falling over nearby alerted them both. It came from the other side of the room where it was dark. They both slowly made their way over, knives raised. The room narrowed and when they turned the corner they realized that there was a staircase leading down into a cellar. They looked at each other and Georgette wasn't sure whether it was worth it to go check it out. She quickly realized they didn't have a choice. The sound of snarling came from the hallway and walkers appeared in the doorway, pouring inside towards them. They ran down the stairs, and realized that there was a door at the bottom. They swung it open and ran inside. Georgette felt her foot get caught and she fell face first into a shelf of art supplies, knocking a whole bunch of expired paint all over herself. Athena pressed herself up against the door as the walkers slammed up against it. Georgette quickly got to her feet. The old paint smelled like rotten eggs and she was now the color blue but she didn't care, they needed to find a way out as quickly as possible. Georgette looked around for another door and felt along the wall, barely able to see. She felt a small latch and pulled. It wasn't a door but a vent near the floor, just big enough that they'd be able to fit tightly through.

"Are you claustrophobic?"

"No!"

"Well then come on!" Athena broke away from the door. Surprisingly, it didn't burst open but rattled on its frame. It wouldn't last long. Georgette let Athena crawl in first. She went into the vent backwards so she could full the vent closed after her. She wouldn't be able to turn around once inside and she'd have to move backwards. As she latched the vent shut the door burst open, letting the hoard in. They clawed at the vent but were unable to rip it open as she had locked it from the inside. Not wanting to see if they'd eventually be able to break in she moved backwards on all fours, making sure she kept up with Athena's movements.

* * *

Beth got back from her fishing trip late that afternoon. She and Donna had caught a good amount of fish but no gators. Beth picked up the large buckets full of fish and said

"I'll take these to the kitchen." Donna thanked her and they headed off in opposite directions. Beth was still wearing her boots and was covered in mud and sweat. She was in no mood for Vince to come up to her and try and flirt.

"Hey Bethy."

"Please don't call me that." He ignored her and said

"Caught a lot today?"

"Ya," she said, "for the cafe."

"You've been working hard lately." Beth just nodded hoping he'd go away. "You need a break don't you think?"

"Not really."

"How about you come to my place tonight?" She was done with him. How much clearer could she be that she wasn't interested.

"I don't think so Vince."

"Aw come on, you know you want too." He got close to her and wrapped his arms around her. She snapped in that moment, pulling away.

"Leave me alone! I said no!" He seemed shocked at her reaction and then got angry.

"How dare you, you owe me your life!"

"I don't owe you anything!"

"You'll regret this Beth, I swear it." With that he gave her a dark look and walked back in the opposite direction. She just rolled her eyes and kept walking towards the kitchen. She didn't have time to think about what Vince would or wouldn't do, she had a job to take care of.

* * *

Annalise sat against a tree in the woods. In front of her was the chain link fence that surrounded the village. It was quiet and there wasn't a walker in sight. She held her knees to her chest as she tried to think clearly. She was pregnant. She was the only one that knew and she wondered if it should stay that way for now. Beth was kind and loving, there was no doubt she'd be accepting but what about Beau? If she told them both it could drive a wedge between mother and son if Beth took her side. Beau had just seemed to start bonding back with his mother and she didn't want to ruin that now. Beth was a young mother, she had to be understanding.

Even if she was going to tell Beth first she needed some time to let it sink in. She had only found out an hour ago and she still needed some time to process things. She had always loved children, but what kind of mother would she make?

**Thanks for commenting DarylDixon'sLover, K. Lynn Perks and TheTroubleWithNames :) You guys are great! I'm happy that some of you are enjoying the length as this story is consuming about 75% of my summer lol.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	26. Chapter 26

Archie watched his father finish his breakfast. It was almost as if he was ignoring his presence, acting like he wasn't there. He cleared his throat and his father still didn't look over at him.

"What's the plans for today dad?" Alex pushed his empty plate away and said

"We're almost outta meat from the freezer. Gonna go cut up one of the hostages." Archie's eyes widened and he said

"Which one?"

"The man." With a smirk he said "The two women will just have to wait their turns." Archie wanted to be a part of it but he knew his father would say no so instead he stood up and said

"I'm gonna join a group to go on a run." With the same nasty smirk his father said

"Try to not get in anyone's way."

* * *

It was morning and Daryl was back on the road. The men had given him some rough directions on where to go but they hadn't offered to help him beyond that. Their warning rattled around his brain._ They'll see you before you seem them_. He tried to put it out of his head and keep following the tracks. He felt his stomach growl and stopped to sit and eat the squirrel he'd caught earlier. It would be an absolute blessing if he found Rick right now, or anyone from the prison. He'd have a lot of explaining to do. As if on cue he heard the sound of someone walking in the woods behind him. He stood up, hope running through him. He was slightly disappointed when he saw one of the men from earlier walk out. He instantly felt defensive. What if they'd changed their minds and decided to track him down to capture and hand him over to Gareth? Instead the man put his hands up in a stance of surrender and said

"I'm here to help you." Daryl didn't relax and said

"How do I know you ain't lyin'?"

"We thought about it after you left and we realized it'd be terrible not to help." Daryl waited for the man to explain more. "You said your wife is pregnant."

"Ya so?"

"We all had families once and children we loved, can't let you go in their alone and face them."

"What about the other two?"

"They're gonna stay behind," he said, "Just in case we get a visit from Gareth. If he ask about me they're gonna tell him I'm out on a hunt." Daryl debated on whether or not to lower his crossbow and trust this man. He smiled and said "I'm Bruce." Daryl had to remind himself that these men worked for cannibals. He still didn't think they'd have any problem handing him over to save their asses.

"You walk in front and lead the way," he said, "Don't wanna be stabbed in the back." Bruce nodded and said

"I understand your distrust. I can't prove anything to you right now but it's about a two days walk to the compound from here, in that time I'll show you I just want to help."

* * *

Archie found a group getting ready to go out by the front gate. They were loading a van up with guns. He alked over to one of the men and said

"How long are you preparing to be gone?"

"Couple of days," he said, "Gareth wants us to find more people. He thinks we'll go through the three humans we brought in a few days ago fast. Archie saw Gareth over by the gate talking to Ben, the man who usually led the overnight hunting groups. He waited until he was done and approached him. Gareth raised his eyebrow at him and said

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if I could go out on this run." Gareth smiled at him and said

"Sure, make yourself useful for once." Archie felt his blood boil at Gareth's comment but didn't talk back, knowing he'd lose the opportunity if he did. He just nodded and said

"Glad too." He walked back over to the van and saw Ben looking at a clipboard.

"Hey," he said, "Gareth said I could join you on the run." Ben looked at him and said

"Great we need another guy to help carry the stuff." He took the large duffle bag off of his back and put it into his arms and said "Put that in the back with the rest." That made him angrier but he kept his mouth shut again. He did as he was told, bringing the bag around the back and throwing it in with the rest.

* * *

The snarling usually struck fear into her but at the moment it was annoying her, having of gone on for the past twenty-four hours. The walker was also proving to be a source of entertainment. They threw pebbles at it and watched it scramble for them, attracted by the movement. Before Beth would never even think to play with a walker like they were now but there was nothing to do and the cabin fever was setting in. Her stomach was growling in hunger again but it was nothing compared to what she'd been feeling before Mary gave them dinner. The sound of boots above them alerted them and they pressed against the wall, waiting to see who was coming down.

Alex' familiar face appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Morning ladies." They didn't reply and just stared at him with hatred. He went over to the rack of knives and weapons. "I see your friend still hasn't woken up." Beth looked over at Bob who was still lying on the floor. She knew there was something seriously wrong with him but he was still breathing. She could see his chest rising and falling. Alex just let out a laugh and pulled a large machete out of the rack. "Doesn't matter much to me," he said, "As long as we can keep him alive until we've used him." He approached Bob with the machete and Beth understood that he'd come to start the process of cutting limbs and meat off of them. Sasha grew hysterical.

"No! Please don't!" Alex laughed and said

"You can beg all you want. This is the natural order of things, the survival of the fittest. We captured you and brought you here, you weren't able to defend yourselves. This is your own fault." Sasha continued to yell obscenities and pull against her chains as Alex got down on his knees and ripped open Bob's pant leg to make a clean cut. Beth was in shock. She thought Daryl would get here before this or they'd come up with a way to escape by now. It all seemed unreal and she couldn't comprehend it. As Alex stood back up and raised the machete up she heard Sasha cry out

"Please, use me instead!" Alex stopped and looked over at her.

"You'd really want that?" Sasha nodded, tears pouring from her eyes. For a moment Beth thought he was going to back away from Bob and do what Sasha had asked. He smiled at her and said "Too bad." He brought the blade up again and slammed it down into Bob's upper thigh. Beth didn't want to watch as she felt herself break down into sobs. She could hear Sasha's crying and all of the sudden a loud wailing. She realized it was Bob. He'd woken up to having his leg chopped off. She stole a glance and saw him writhing in the floor in pain as Alex continued to try and cut his leg off. The whites of his eyes were flashing as he was held down by Alex's other hand. Soon the dismembered leg lay on the floor next to him as he continued to scream. Alex quickly went and picked up the pan that had been heating up on the stove and pressed it to the stump. Bob was out cold again, unconscious from the pain and shock. The chained walker snarled furiously as Bob's fresh blood was spilt. The leg Alex had taken off had been the one missing a foot and he picked it up and said

"What happened here?" Sasha was curled up in a ball so he turned to Beth for an answer. She kept her mouth shut, not wanting to talk back to him. "You gonna answer me goldilocks?" He held out Bob's leg and stuck the bloodied, broken end in her face. She nearly vomited, smelling the blood and seeing the broken, jagged bone that had been a part of Bob's body a moment earlier. When she continued to keep quiet he brought it back and hit her with it, leaving a bloody trail across her cheek. "You're gonna be last," he said, "First thing we're gonna do to you is take out your baby."

* * *

Daryl walked slowly behind Bruce, his crossbow still in hand. He kept an eye out for anyone else. If Bruce had come to trick him his other two friends would surely be hiding and waiting for the opportunity to attack him. It had been an hour or so and hadn't let his guard slip. The man seemed amused by his behavior and he looked back and said

"I'm here to help. I know how it is to lose a family." The man stopped and turned to Daryl. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small photo. He handed it to Daryl. Daryl looked down and saw Bruce's familiar face. He face looked younger and less rugged. Next to him stood a pretty brunette woman holding a baby. "That was my wife and baby, had that taken a little before the turn." Daryl didn't have the heart to ask him what had happened to them but he had a pretty good idea. "You said your wife is pregnant and I can't stand back and watch another family fall apart." Daryl handed the man the picture back and said

"I appreciate it." The man nodded and said

"I know you probably still don't trust me, that's ok, in time you will." Daryl watched Bruce turn and continue walking. He was right. Daryl still didn't trust him completely but he let his guard down a little bit. He walked after him, still moving along the tracks.

* * *

Archie sat in the back of the van. Every bump they went over sent him up, hitting his head on the ceiling before he came back down painfully on his ass. They'd stuck him back there because there were no other seats available. He sat on a pile of bags full of guns, food and other supplies. Gareth told them to drop by Bruce, John and Dale's place. It was about a one day ride and they'd probably get there tomorrow as the sun was already setting. He wanted to let him know that they didn't need the extra deer meat, that they'd captured three people and had enough meat for now. Archie remembered when they'd discovered the three men living in the house. His father had wanted to make a meal out of them but Gareth instead decided to use them to his advantage. He made a deal with the men to supply them with meat when things got short as they were excellent hunters. They knew what would happen to them if they didn't and they didn't want to leave their home so they agreed.

As he suspected, they pulled over when it got dark. The doors slid open and the men poured out. Archie pushed open the trunk and found Ben standing there waiting for him. "Hey Artie," he said, "We're gonna get camp set up as quick as possible so it'd be nice if you could carry the tents over for us." He didn't give Archie an option as he walked off. They didn't even know his name and it was clear he would be the guy that carried the bags. He slid out from the car and began to pull them out. Someday they'd all respect him, he'd become powerful just like Gareth. He knew he'd have to wait so in the mean time he'd be obedient and do as they said.

* * *

Bob was still unconscious on the floor, his cauterized wound oozing blood. A devastated Sasha sat in the corner, holding her knees to her chest as she cried.

"We're never gonna get outta here," she said, "We're gonna have to watch him get eaten and then it'll be us." Beth tried to keep a positive mindset no matter how hard it was.

"Daryl's coming," she said, "I just know he is I can feel it! When he does he'll break us out of here and we'll find a new home. Bob can get a fake leg like my daddy had. He'll learn to walk again and things will get better."

"I want to believe you," said Sasha, "I don't know if I can anymore."

"Mary will come tonight," said Beth, "When she does we'll try and get her to help us." But as the hours ticked by nobody came. The barn was silent except for the walkers low snarling. Beth had no trouble staying awake, Bob's dismemberment still disturbing her. In her heart she knew Mary wasn't coming tonight. The woman hadn't guaranteed anything and Beth shouldn't expect it from her.

**Thanks stateofgrace-xo for commenting :) So this was a shorter chapter but it was major. I'm going away tomorrow and will be gone until the 6th. I'll have no internet but I will spend some of my time writing a new chapter to post when I get home. I might be able to post chapters through my phone but I'm not sure.**

**I'm thinking of starting a Richonne fanfiction sometime in the near future for any of you who also ship that but it wouldn't be connected to this fic in any way. I'll let you all know if I'm actually gonna do it. **

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	27. Chapter 27

Georgette was still crawling backwards down the tunnel when she felt Athena abruptly stop.

"What is it?" She wished she was able to turn around and see what was in front of them.

"We've reached the end," said Athena, "I can see outside through another vent." She could hear the fear in her voice. "It's a parking lot and they're outside, everywhere."

"Any chance of us busting out and being able to take them?" Athena was silent for another moment before she said

"I don't think so; there are a ton of them." Georgette sighed in defeat. She could still hear the walkers rattling the vent far down in the cellar room they'd escaped from. The sound echoed off the metal walls, making it impossible to tell if they were close to breaking through.

"We can wait," she said, "If walkers on either side break through only one can get in at a time so we won't be swarmed."

"We don't have a choice," said Athena, "I don't think making a run for it would be so smart." Georgette remained on her hands and knees, keeping her eyes focused on the dark tunnel they'd just crawled from. After awhile her mind started to play tricks on her. She'd see movement in the darkness that wasn't actually there. She grew tired and lay on her stomach, not breaking her focus. They sat there until morning. She could still hear the low rattling of the vent they'd shut, they just wouldn't quit. After hours of not speaking or moving she felt Athena spring up.

"Did you hear that?!"

"No," she said, slowly getting back onto her hands and knees. "What is it?"

"A gunshot, far away. Listen, maybe it'll happen again." They kept absolutely silent. Georgette held her breath as she strained her ears. She just managed to catch the sound of a very distant gunshot. It was very far off but it was enough for the walkers to hear and turn off towards the east, stumbling in that direction. Athena grinned and whispered "They're going away!" Georgette thought they were in the clear. All they had to do was wait until the herd cleared and they could break out. But her thought process changed drastically when she heard the loud clanging of metal echo off the walls. The vent hadn't been broken down and she could hear the walkers start to crawl into the tunnel, coming for them.

"Shit," she said, "Are they gone yet?"

"No," said Athena, "They're still moving but there are a ton of them." Georgette looked back down the tunnel, waiting for a rotting face to appear out of the darkness. She took her knife out and was ready for the fight.

* * *

Irving and Michonne left the camp at the bottom of the hill behind. They were hungry again and by the afternoon Irving was desperate. When he saw the deer quietly grazing in the woods ahead he grabbed Michonne's shoulder and pointed him out.

"Look there's our lunch!" Michonne looked at him like he had three heads.

"Ya ok, if you really think you can catch that you're crazy."

"How hard can it be?" He took his knife out its holster and slowly approached the deer. It lifted its head, detecting him. He thought it would dash off but instead it decided it was alright and lowered its head, going back to grazing. With a leap, Irving jumped out from behind the tree, grabbing onto the back end of the deer. It instantly tried to bolt. Irving was so close he could taste it. As he was about to bring the blade down he got a hard kick to the face and the deer ran off, leaving him behind with a bruised eye and cheek. He could hear Michonne approaching him and laughing.

"That went exactly as I thought it would." Irving picked himself up off the ground, his face throbbing in pain.

"Almost got 'im," he said, "Shoulda been quicker." Michonne continued to smile and said

"C'mon, we should keep moving; maybe we'll find something else to eat." Irving held onto his swelling cheek, trying to soothe the pain.

"Fuckin' deer," he complained, "He'd be in my belly by now." Michonne laughed again and said

"Quit your whining." Things had gone back to the way they were after their talk about Rick and he was happy that things had blown over.

"Don't you come complainin' when I finally catch somethin' and I don't give you none." She shushed him and he said "Don't you shush me."

"No seriously." She had stopped and they found themselves standing in front of a chain link fence. Through the trees on the inside they could see brick buildings. "Think it's safe?"

"I don't here nuthin'." He took the initiative himself and grabbed onto the fence, climbing his way up.

"What are you doing?!"

"Goin' in," he said, "There could be food in there." He heard Michonne grab onto the fence below him and start to make her way up. When he reached the top he threw himself over, moving down the side of the fence. When they both reached the other side Michonne said

"Move slow, there could be people here." Irving held on tight to the machete as they walked through the trees. Sure enough, the sound of someone talking could be heard. Irving couldn't make out what they were saying but there was a conversation going on as a second person could be heard. He turned to Michonne and said

"What do you wanna do?"

"Keep going," she said, "But be careful." A minute later they came to a short wooden picket fence. Beyond it were a cluster of brick buildings. There were people moving around.

"They could be in there," said Irving, "The others."

"You could be right," she said, "The place looks small, easy to stake out."

The two waited for nightfall. Irving was so hungry it hurt but he had more important things on his mind. All of the people they'd seen weren't familiar faces. When it went dark and silent they crept out into the open. It was a small community but it became evident that they were strong. When they reached the center there was a sort of town square. Tables were set up along with gardens and racks full of guns. Irving hadn't seen a functioning gun in so long. All of the ones he usually found were rusted out and unusable. But these looked good. Smiling he grabbed a handgun out of the rack. He made sure it was loaded and then stuck it in the loop of his belt. Michonne stood back and watched him.

"What?"

"We can't just take their guns." He saw her looking at a bucket of toys, indicating that there were clearly children in the village. "They need them to defend themselves."

"One ain't gonna hurt." They continued on, seeing no sign that their people were there. As they walked up to the gate that led out of the community they heard a voice yell out

"Stop!" A man came out from behind a building, walking towards them. Irving hid the gun with his hand, hoping he wouldn't see it. "Who are you?"

"We're passing through," said Michonne, "Didn't mean to trespass, we're looking for some people." The man kept a stone cold expression as he walked towards them.

"I'll escort you out then." He stood behind them, holding a gun to their backs.

"Nobody else has passed through here in the past few days?"

"No," said the man, "We'd know about it." He pointed out the doorway next to the gate and they walked through it. "Good luck out there." Despite being kicked out they felt uplifted. They had a gun now to hunt with and as soon as the sun came up they could start looking for food. In the mean time the two needed a place to stay. They walked further down the road and found a small house to shelter in for the night. Irving found it hard to sleep with his hunger but his body, drained of energy, eventually gave out.

The next morning Irving was up early. Michonne was still asleep. He went outside, inhaling the fresh morning air. He felt the heavy pull of the gun on his belt and walked off into the woods, intending to catch something to eat. The forest was alive and he instantly spotted a squirrel sitting up on a branch above him. He would have saved the bullets for something more important or something bigger like a deer but his hunger was blinding and he aimed and pulled the trigger. The squirrel fell from the tree and landed on the ground. He picked it up and moved on. Further in he saw a rabbit sitting on a log and shot it down as well. His mouth watered at the thought of squirrel and rabbit stew.

* * *

Georgette saw the face come out of the darkness, snarling at her with hungry jaws. She moved forward and stabbed it in the head. It fell to the floor, seeping blood everywhere. The next was right on top of it, snapping at her viciously. She could hear more coming, moving down the tunnel towards them. She stabbed at them repeatedly and they fell one by one, piling up on top of each other. Soon there was a wall of dead, rotting bodies. She heard Athena say

"They're gone!" She listened to her pull and yank at the vent cover. Georgette saw the wall of bodies moving as more walkers tried to move through. They toppled onto her, the smell of stinking rotting flesh overwhelming her. She could feel a walker climbing on the body on top of her, breaking it open and spilling its watery innards out all over her back. She heard Athena yell "I got it!" She felt something grab her foot and pull her backwards. As landed on the ground outside of the vent and realized it had been Athena to pull her to safety. She was in shock and covered in walker guts and all she could say was

"Thanks." Athena stabbed at the stream of walkers making their way out of the vent as she picked herself up. She felt nauseas and slimy. As soon as she was on both feet Athena tugged at her arm and said "Come on!" The two ran across the parking lot, not looking back.

When they reached another main road they slowed down. Georgette was usually unbothered by feeling dirty, it'd been that way her whole life but now the walker slime skeeved her out. It rolled down her legs in big chunks of flesh and body fluids. When she saw a pond through the trees she ran and jumped in. When she came back to the surface, feeling ten times more refreshed and clean she looked back to see Athena still on the road.

"Come in it feels amazing!" She was looking at something and Georgette followed her gaze to see a sign on the side of the road. It read 'Welcome to Morton, MS.' Below that it read 'Jackson, 37 miles west.' Athena put her hands on her head in defeat.

"We've been going west this whole time, not south!" It was no doubt bad news. They had been hoping that they'd gone south, moving towards Louisiana.

"Well we're close to Jackson," said Georgette, "Might as well head there and see if there's some kind of safe zone set ups Maybe the others ended up going the same way." She knew that they were going to run into another disagreement. Unlike before they didn't argue.

"But we've always avoided the cities," said Athena, "It could be completely overrun."

"We don't have to go in," said Georgette, "We'll just go to the outskirts. If they've got something there then we'll know it before we even get too close. And what about that gunshot?"

"What about it?"

"Do you think it could be someone from the group?"

"I don't think so," said Athena, "Guns are hard to come by these days."

* * *

Odilia and Pedro stayed in Bay Springs for the night. Odilia found a house that sat right on the bayou. The back deck hung over the water and was enclosed by a roof of overgrown bald cypress trees. She tested her weight to make sure it was sturdy before sitting down. It made her feel safe and at home. She hung her legs over the side, dipping her feet in the cool water. Inside the house behind her she could hear Pedro setting up a fire for dinner. She leaned her head against a pole and shut her eyes, wishing she was back home on the bayou she was familiar with. She thought of playing with her mother when she was little and being on the village's playground. Back then she didn't know people could be so evil. All she knew was that if she stayed within the village walls, things would always be alright and life would be good.

A moment later she heard Pedro sit down next to her and say

"Here's your plate."

"Thanks." They were quiet as they ate. She must have looked troubled to him because he smiled and said

"So isn't bonjour 'hello' in French?" Odilia was willing to play along and she said

"It is, and isn't hola 'hello' in Spanish?" Pedro nodded and said

"Very good." Odilia laughed and said

"Everyone knows that."

"I learned a bit of French a long time ago in school."

"Cajun French is different though," said Odilia, "In pronunciation and spelling."

"Like?"

"Bonmaten means 'good morning'." Before he could answer she heard wood snapping and felt the deck lurch underneath them. The water wasn't a far drop and they both fell in. Odilia's first thought was the possibility of alligators waiting for them but she touched the bottom and was able to stand up. Pedro was next to her, drenched like she was. Odilia couldn't help but start laughing. He joined in and she tried to reach up and grab onto the doorway that now led to nothing. He helped her by lifting her up by her hips. She pulled herself up and through the doorway. She turned to help him when she saw the ridged back of a gator swimming over.

"Pedro watch out!" He looked back and his joyful demeanor melted away. He quickly tried to jump up again and she grabbed onto him. He was too heavy for her to get up herself and his foot slipped on a slimy post of wood as he scrambled at the door. He fell back in and whipped around to face the beast. "Stab him at the top of the head! That's the kill spot." Pedro took out his knife and as soon as the gator reached him he slammed the blade down before it could get a chunk out of him. "You got him!" The gator went limp in the water and Pedro laughed again, this time victoriously. He grabbed the gator and said

"Hungry for more dinner?" Odilia smiled and said

"Definitely, haven't had gator in a long time."

* * *

Candice was determined to keep up. Carl walked along with her, trying to make her feel like she didn't have to struggle to keep up. Daryl walked ahead of them, holding his crossbow. They were headed south, hopefully to meet up with the others at some point. Her father would look back at them to make sure they were still keeping up. When he turned for about the fifth time she smirked and said

"We're ok dad, really." He mumbled something out and kept on walking. She smiled, seeing right through her father's serious demeanor. Candice could see a street sign up ahead. As they got closer she could see that the faded out letters read, 'Hattiesburg, 31 miles south.' Excited to see that they were solidly moving in the right direction she said

"I wonder how far we are from the Louisiana border?"

"We'll keep movin'," said her father, "When we get there we can stop 'n wait." Confused Carl said

"Wait for what?"

"The others hopefully."

* * *

They kept moving for about another hour. When the sun started to set they settled in a house for the night. They were quick to eat dinner and get into bed. It was Carl's turn to be on watch as Daryl had done it last night. Daryl was absolutely exhausted and he fell asleep almost instantly when he lay down. In today's world he always slept with one eye open so when he heard a rustling sound he was awake again. He saw Candice get up and out of her sleeping bag.

"Where you goin'?" She jumped in surprise and turned back to look at him.

"I can't sleep," she said, "I'm gonna go talk to Carl." He felt the protective instinct take over again. He knew Carl was a good kid. Hell he'd known him since he was a little boy but that didn't stop him from feeling concerned. He wasn't that same little boy anymore he was a _man,_ and as he knew from experience _men_ often thought with the wrong head. He was reminded of his own past life with Beth. He hadn't been able to keep his hands off of her and she'd ended up pregnant at one of the worst times possible thanks to his loss of self control. Not wanting her to suspect anything he said

"You can stay here 'n talk to me." Candice smiled and said

"No dad, you go to sleep. You need it. Don't worry about me, Carl's a nice guy."

"He's a _guy_."

"Relax," she said, "We're just gonna talk, I'm not an idiot." He mumbled to himself

"Famous last words." She must not have heard him because she continued towards the door not looking back. He lay back down and tried to sleep but he knew as long as she was out there he wouldn't.

* * *

She kept her voice down as she spoke, not wanting her father to hear what they were talking about. She found him sitting out on the stairs of the porch, whittling a stick down to a point.

"Hey," she said, "Want some company?" He smiled at her and patted the spot next to him. She sat and said "Couldn't sleep, thought I'd come out here." She saw the nervousness in Carl's face and she said "It's silly of him to be so overprotective."

"Well you're his daughter. He's always been like that," said Carl with a smile. "I used to joke with my dad about what he'd be like if he ever had a kid." Candice smiled and said

"He and my mom?"

"No," he said, "He and Beth barely talked to each other at the prison. I was shocked when I found out they got together." Intrigued Candice said

"You were?"

"Ya he was so rough and Beth was so sweet and kind, we always thought he'd end up with Carol."

"Who's Carol?"

"A woman who used to live with us at the prison. They talked a lot and seemed to really care about each other. Don't know if your father told you but she went a little crazy after the prison fell." Candice wanted to hear more. Her parent's lives seemed like some kind of romance novel. She would never ask her father about the mushy details as it would embarrass her too much. She listened to him tell the story of how her parents had escaped together, her mother had nearly bled out after falling through the glass windshield of a boat and how Carol had shown up and taken them back to a town. "Carol was such a nice woman," he said, "But once she saw that Daryl and Beth had feelings for each other everything went downhill." He finished his story by telling her about their escape and Carol's death.

"Did he tell you all this?"

"No," said Carl, "He told Michonne, who told me." Candice smiled and said

"Michonne's like your mom?" She could see a bit of happiness in his eyes at the mention of her.

"She is," he said, "I'll never forget my real mom but Michonne's always been there for Judy and I."

"She seems nice." With a laugh she said, "And pretty badass." Carl smiled and said

"You shoulda seen he and my dad together, they were a powerhouse." The mood became sadder as Carl thought of Rick and Candice was reminded of her own deceased mother. "It's too bad they didn't recognize their love for each other sooner." He took a moment and then said "I think of my dad every day. I hope I'm making him proud like I told him I would." Candice didn't question him, sitting silently as he poured it all out. "Sometimes I feel like it's still my fault. If I hadn't fallen down that hill and caught that herd's attention then he'd still be here."

"Don't think like that," said Candice, "Bad things happen and there's nothing we can do about it." She leaned closer to him so she was looking into his eyes. "It was nobody's fault, I've heard enough about your father to know he was a great man. There's no doubt in my mind that he's proud of you."

"It feels great to talk about it."

"Whenever you want," she said, "I'm always around."

The two sat silently, listening to the grasshoppers chirping in the night. She leaned into him, drowsy and half asleep.

"I think it's time for bed," he said, gently nudging her. She let him help her to her feet and she said

"'Night." He leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek in a soft kiss. She was suddenly alert as he looked at her, his eyes heavy with emotion.

"Goodnight Candice." She pulled him into a hug and said

"See you tomorrow." When she broke away she smiled at him one last time and went inside. She looked over at her father who seemed to be asleep. But she knew he wasn't. Smiling and now in an affectionate mood she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead and said

"Goodnight daddy." A moment later, after she'd settled down into her sleeping bag she heard him mumble

"'Night sweetheart."

**Thanks DarylDixon'sLover, Caitiann, K. Lynn Perks and stateofgrace-xo for commenting :) I know I said I'm on vacation but thank god for my aunt's hotspot on her phone lol. I didn't include Ares' group in this chapter because I don't want to try and write pointless travel time where nothing's going on lol. But don't worry they'll be in the next. I also didn't include any of Beth's/Beau's/Annalise's story in this chapter because I'm planning to write a big upcoming chapter on just them that doesn't follow any of the separated groups.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


	28. Chapter 28

Daryl and Bruce continued on down the road. It was a warmer day and the tire tracks had started to melt away. Luckily he had Bruce leading him to what hopefully was the right place. If something went wrong he could still make out the outline of the tracks, now a mix of mud and snow.

"You from around here?" He lifted his head to see that Bruce was talking to him. "I mean before the turn."

"No," said Daryl, "Lived further northeast in the state."

"You lose a lot of people?" In the old world those kind of questions would be considered too personal but now they weren't. They were almost the same as asking a person what their favorite color was.

"Not really." His father had been dead before the turn. He remembered his uncle and cousin Irving but they had been long gone out of his life before the walkers also. Whether they were dead or alive he didn't know. Merle was the only one he'd lost from his family at the beginning. But he'd lost much more than that. His true family from the prison was currently missing.

"Must be worried about your wife." The man was starting to get on his nerves and he bit back a mean retort and said

"I'm gonna skin those fuckers alive." He didn't want to think about the idea that he might be too late or Beth and the baby were seriously hurt. "If they even laid a hand on her-"

"Shh, listen." Bruce cut him off and he fell silent. The distant sound of an approaching car alarmed them both. "C'mon, this way." Bruce grabbed onto his arm and pulled him towards the wood, quickly hiding behind a group of thick trees. A large van drove towards them and Daryl wondered if Bruce had planned this. Were they coming to meet up with him so Bruce could hand him over? Daryl's worries were only reinforced when he saw that they hadn't covered up their footprints in the thin snow. Bruce saw what he was looking at and said "Just wait. I can take care of it if." To Daryl's horror they did indeed stop. The man in the driver's seat got out, holding a large AR-15. He was clearly looking at the footprints. He looked back at the man in the passenger seat and said

"Two people came through here." Bruce stepped out into view and the man spotted him.

"Bruce," he said, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm out hunting," he said, "Just stopped to rest for a bit." Daryl held on tight to his crossbow, expecting something to go wrong.

"These your prints?" Bruce nodded and said

"They are."

"Who do the others belong too?" Daryl could see the man craning his head to look beyond Bruce and into the woods.

"Met a man about a half an hour ago," he said, "I sat down to rest and he kept on going."

"Go after him," said the man, "We're having another shortage of food at the moment and need your help."

"But you've never asked us to capture humans?"

"Well now we are," said the man, "We currently have three people in our cellar but it's not gonna last us long. The freezer's nearly empty, we started in one of the prisoners today but people are hungry, one leg ain't gonna last us long."

"What if we don't want to go after humans?" The man's face darkened and he said

"You know what happens."

"But that wasn't in our deal," said Bruce, "You told us we only had to hunt deer." The man repeated himself.

"You know what will happen." Bruce's face seemed to pale as the man smiled and said "Try and find him, he couldn't have gotten that far in a half hour." He turned and got back into thevan and drove off. When Daryl was sure they were out of sight he came out from behind the tree.

"You gonna listen to him?" Bruce shoke his head, clearly worried.

"We feel guilty enough supplying them with food but now they want us to hunt humans." The genuine look of fear and disgust on his face told Daryl that the man wasn't lying. It was enough for Daryl to start to believe that he was telling the truth.

"Once you've shown me the way you should leave," he said, "Run with the other two and get outta the area."

"We can't," he said, "Can't leave all of our memories 's left of them is in that house." He had made his decision and Daryl couldn't talk him out of it.

"They ain't gonna get away with this anymore," said Daryl, "I'll kill 'em all if I have too."

* * *

They were back on the road again but it didn't take long for the van to come to a halt. Curious as to what was going on Archie got up on his knees and looked out the window. He could see Ben standing on the side of the road talking to someone.

"Who's that?" The man sitting in front of him said

"That's one of the food suppliers we use for when people get scarce." Archie remembered times that he'd had to eat venison when they ran out of people. He didn't like it as much but he didn't complain or ask where it came from. As long as he had something to eat he kept his mouth shut.

Archie looked back out the window to see that the man now looked nervous. Ben had a smirk on his face and was talkingwith determination. Finally he walked back to the van and got inside. One of the men asked

"What was all that about?"

"Told him we need him and his buddies to start hunting upset about it but if he knows what's good for him he'll do it." The van started moving again and the man continued to stand on the side of the road, watching the van go.

* * *

Beth felt time tick by. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours. Sasha was asleep on the floor while she sat against the wall. She closed her eyes and thought about everything she and Daryl had been through together. What would life be like if the prison hadn't of fallen? Would they have found their love for each other? The door swung open at the top of the stairs and Beth was relieved to see Mary standing there, three plates in hand. She must have known that Bob had been dismembered because the look of concern was etched on her face before she saw him.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm alright," she said, "Him not so much." She pointed out Bob lying in the corner.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I can't stop them. I have no control." She set the plates down in front of each of them. "I wish I did."

"How'd you get the chance to come down here?"

"Alex and Gareth are busy planning."

"Planning what?"

"More hunting trips. He thinks the three of you won't last long and he wants more food."

"Can you help us get out?"

"I don't know," she said, "This place is locked down day and night. Gareth has a curfew at night and has guards patrolling the town." Beth felt the fate of being eaten mutilated and eaten sink in. She felt pure desperation. With tears rolling down her face she said

"Please just do one thing for me. Don't let them kill my baby. When they kill me and cut him out he'll live." Mary looked away and said

"I'm the one they want to perform the C-section. They want to remove the baby first but stitch you up and keep you alive so they can…." She paused in disgust and said "So they can take you apart piece by piece."

"Why are you here if you hate it so much?"

"It's safe here," she said, "I've been here since the beginning. We weren't cannibals then. Once supplies got rarer and we weren't able to feed everyone Gareth started taking people captive. A lot of us tried to leave but he threatened to hunt us down. He didn't want word getting out about Terminus. If it did people would start avoiding it and would know how evil it is."

"So you eat your own?"

"I didn't know what else to do. Gareth's a persuasive man, people crack under his power."

"If you can get the key to our chains then we could escape," said Beth, "You wouldn't even have to be there for it, just tell us the best way out."

"Gareth keeps the keys in his office," she said, "But I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Maggie was curled up to Glenn as the thunderstorm raged outside the walls. It had been hours since they'd laid down together and Glenn had fallen asleep quickly. She'd been up since, feeling the babies move. They'd figured out she was having twins quickly. The movements alone had made that clear never mind how big she had grown. Glenn was excited about it, but her head was back at the prison where their home had been completely destroyed and her father had been killed. She tried to be happy day after day about the pregnancy but she couldn't bring herself to feel that way. She was bringing two lives into a terrible world. They'd never know what it would be like to live in a home without fear.

She felt overheated and got out of bed, making sure Glenn didn't wake up with her. She carefully made her way down the stairs, headed to the kitchen on the bottom floor. She poured herself a glass of water and sat down at the kitchen table. She gulped it down, her throat dry as the desert. When she was done she closed her eyes and rested her head against the cool surface of the wooden table. She heard a light tapping on the window and looked up. There was a face in the kitchen window, looking in at her with a blank stare. It was Beth. Unlike her nightmares her face intact and she didn't look dead.

"Beth!" She got up quickly and the angelic face disappeared from the window, moving off to the right. Glenn always dead bolted the door shut and she quickly undid the locks, flinging the door open and rushing outside. She saw Beth, oddly glowing and standing at the edge of the forest. She looked back at her with the same blank stare and then turned and dashed off into the woods. "Wait!" She took off after her as fast as she could run. She could just see her up ahead, just out of her reach. "Beth please stop!" Suddenly there were a pair of arms tightly around her. She thought it was a walker so she kicked and screamed, determined to get away.

"Maggie relax! It's just me!" she turned to see Glenn standing there still half asleep with no shoes on. "It's not her," he said "She's not there I promise you!"

"But I saw her! She's just up ahead!" Glenn shoke his head in sadness.

"No Maggie you're imaging things."

"No! NO I AM NOT!" She tore away from him and saw Beth standing there again, waving at her. "SHE'S THERE! SHE'S THERE!"

"I don't see anything." She tried to run off again but he grabbed her by the hand and said "Come on sweetheart it's time to go back home." She struggled against him as he pulled her back. Beth continued to stare there and smile at her mockingly.

* * *

An hour or so later the van stopped again. When Archie hopped out he saw that they were parked in front of a house. It looked well kept up compared to others he'd seen. It didn't surprise him when he saw two men walk out. Now that he was out of the car he could hear what Ben was saying.

"Morning gentlemen." The two stood close together, looking nervously up at Ben.

"Morning," said one of them, "What have you come for?"

"We need to discuss some business," said Ben, "I saw Bruce out in the woods about an hour ago. Said he was hunting." The two men looked at each other and said

"How was he?"

"He was good," said Ben, "Taking a rest when we found him. We discussed the proposition with him and he has agreed to it."

"Oh?" Ben nodded and said

"Let's head inside where we can talk." He turned back to them and said "The rest of you stay here, except for you two." He pointed out two men in the crowd and they followed him inside. Archie looked around awkwardly, unsure on what to do. These were clearly the other two suppliers that Terminus used. Ben would force his new rule upon the other two men and soon Terminus would be stocked with food, none of that gross venison, but human meat. Always human meat.

The five men were in the house for about an hour. Ben and his two friends reappeared, all looking smug. Someone from the group asked

"How'd it go?"

"It went great," said Ben, "It took them awhile to agree but we were able to persuade them." Archie tried to look inside the windows of the house but Ben barked out "Alright let's get back in! Hopefully we can reach our destination before nightfall!" Archie got back into the trunk, wishing he could have been inside the house to make the negotiation.

* * *

When Alex walked into the cellar Beth didn't even acknowledge him. She and Sasha had both eaten their food and hid their plates. Bob hadn't woken up again and Beth had hidden his behind his bucket, hoping he'd wake up in time to eat it.

"How are you doing ladies?" They refused to answer him. Beth looked away defiantly. "I asked how you are doing." He got closer to her; his voice had a toxic tone. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her around so they were eye to eye. "LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Beth wanted to cry but she held it in, wanting him to see that she wasn't backing down.

"I'm fine," she said, keeping a steady voice. He released her and said

"Good." He turned his focus to Sasha and said

"And what about you?" Sasha spat at him and said

"You're a monster!" He smirked and said

"That's your opinion." He went over to the rack of knives and pulled out the same one he'd used to sever Bob's leg yesterday. Beth could only pray that he wasn't going to cut off another limb. He turned to the sink and started to wash the knife under the stream of water, taking his time. Sasha and Beth looked at each other fearfully, both thinking the same. When he was done and he dried the blade off. He moved over to Bob again and knelt down. Like before he cut the cloth away and made a mark where he was going to make the cut. Like before they were helpless. They could only watch as their friend was cut open again. Beth covered her ears as Bob's familiar shrieks filled the cellar and echoed off the walls. The walker across from her was pulling hard against its chains. Beth heard a snap and saw that the walker had pulled so hard that it ripped its own arm off. Now it only was held by one chain. She could see the rotten flesh on the remaining wrist start to tear against the cuff. Alex had noticed and quickly cauterized Bob's fresh wound before stabbing the walker in the head. Beth knew he wouldn't let it get to them. Like he had before he carried Bob's leg across the room. He stuck the knife back into the rack and said

"Have a good evening." With that he left them. Sasha had crawled over to Bob who was still awake. He was looking around the room with wide eyes and was clearly in severe held his head in her lap. His voice came out shaky and weak.

"W-where are we?" He lifted his head to see that his legs were missing. He started to scream and Sasha tried to hold him tightly.

"It's ok Bob! It's ok!" His horrible shrieks continued to fill the room and echo in Beth's head. She knew she'd be hearing them in her nightmares.

**Thanks stateofgrace-xo for commenting :) Hope everyone has a good fourth of July weekend!**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Wanderlustt**


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